How the rivers are running right now.
Live readings from the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauges in and around the county, fetched fresh every time you open this page. Height and flow for paddlers and anglers, and how far each gauge sits from its own flood stage when the rain won't stop, including the Raritan through Manville and Bound Brook, the two towns hit hardest when the river rises.
Reading the gauges…
Levels: USGS Water Services, updated by the gauges themselves, typically every 15 minutes (a few transmit in batches and can run hours behind; each card shows its own reading time). Flood stages: National Weather Service, checked 2026-07-16. Never judge water safety by a number alone.
How to read a gauge
- Height is measured against each gauge's own local zero point, so compare a reading to that gauge's own flood stage, never to another gauge. A negative number on the Delaware in dry weather is normal.
- Flow (cubic feet per second) is the better number for paddling and fishing. Rising fast after rain means debris and cold, pushy water even when the height still looks tame.
- Action stage is where the Weather Service starts watching, minor flood is where low roads and banks start going under. The Watchung-area creeks that feed Bound Brook can cover that whole distance in a couple of hours of hard rain.
- Flooding somewhere? Our road work map covers the planned closures; check your own township's site or Nextdoor for storm-driven ones.
The Somerset Scoop newsletter is on its way.
A free weekly email for Somerset County: events worth your time, what's being built, and who's worth hiring. Signup opens when the first edition is ready.