Ramapo River above dam at Pompton Lakes NJ Water Level
Live lake level, flow, historical records and forecast for Ramapo River above dam at Pompton Lakes NJ in NJ, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location NJ, United States
- Watershed hackensack passaic
- Primary gauge 01387998 (USGS)
About Ramapo River above dam at Pompton Lakes NJ
The Ramapo River above dam at Pompton Lakes sits in the Hackensack-Passaic watershed in New Jersey.
What the record shows
Over more than 17 years on record, the high-water mark here was 11.41 ft (3.48 m) in January 2016. The low-water mark was 7.51 ft (2.29 m) in October 2012.
The seasonal pattern is narrow but real. March is the typical high month at 10.73 ft (3.27 m), while September is the typical low month at 10.15 ft (3.1 m). The typical annual swing is 6.9 in (17.6 cm).
For anyone watching a dock, bank, or intake, that says this water usually stays in a fairly tight band through the year, but it can still move outside that band when conditions turn wet. The record high shows the upper edge of what this station has seen; the record low shows the lower edge of what long-term users should keep in mind.
The watershed
This station drains 160 sq mi (414 km2) above the gauge. That is the area feeding the reading here, not the whole Hackensack-Passaic watershed.
In this part of New Jersey, the broad seasonal rhythm is winter-spring rain floods, with tropical systems and their remnants driving the biggest events; summer tends toward lower flows. At this site, the record backs up that seasonal shape in a modest way: March is typically higher than September, even though the swing is only 6.9 in (17.6 cm).
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is today’s reading, set against the median for this calendar day across the station record. That is the better number to watch because raw elevation alone does not say whether the river is running high or low for this time of year.
This station is reported by the USGS, and the comparison is based on more than 17 years of record. For cottagers, anglers, farmers, and flood-watchers, that median gives the clearest quick check: is the river behaving like a normal day for this date, or is it running above or below its usual level?
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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How every number is computed - About the platform
