Raritan River level at Bound Brook
New Jersey · Flood watch
Measured at USGS 01403060 — Raritan River below Calco Dam at Bound Brook NJ · NWS forecast point BDKN4
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
Well below normal for the date
At 149 CFS, this gauge is running 59% of normal for mid-September — below the 252 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 87 years of record (1903–2026).
Sponsor Raritan River
One exclusive sponsor per river, on every gauge page for it.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Flood stages at Bound Brook
National Weather Service categories for gauge BDKN4, WFO PHI. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 33.0 ft
- 33.0 ft A large portion of Bound Brook is protected by the flood reduction project. Pump station operations become critical, at this stage, for the continued protection of the borough.
-
Moderate flood 30.0 ft
- 30.0 ft Main Street is protected by flap valves/sluice gates. This level triggers the gate closures to protect Main Street.
-
Minor flood 28.0 ft
- 28.0 ft Backyard and low areas are protected by levees and the flood wall. Without the levees or if there is a breach in the levees, minor flooding will occur.
-
Action 26.0 ft · 13,100 CFS
- Right now 16.61 ft
NWS forecast: 18.20 ft by .
Flow history at Bound Brook
Daily values from USGS 01403060, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for BDKN4 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Bound Brook
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 42.13 ft | 75,471 CFS | Sep 2, 2021 |
| 42.13 ft | 82,900 CFS | Sep 17, 1999 |
| 41.90 ft | 80,700 CFS | Aug 28, 2011 |
| 38.38 ft | 56,900 CFS | Apr 16, 2007 |
| 37.47 ft | 46,100 CFS | Aug 28, 1971 |
| 36.04 ft | — | Mar 14, 2010 |
| 35.58 ft | 40,100 CFS | Oct 20, 1996 |
| 34.65 ft | 38,800 CFS | May 1, 2014 |
| 33.72 ft | 35,120 CFS | Dec 19, 2023 |
| 33.70 ft | 35,120 CFS | Jan 10, 2024 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Raritan River at Bound Brook
The reference gauge for this reach in New Jersey — what local emergency managers and the National Weather Service watch when the river comes up. Floyd and Ida devastated these towns.
Raritan River at Bound Brook — common questions
3 questions
What is flood stage at Bound Brook?
The National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at this gauge at 28.0 ft, moderate at 30.0 ft, and major at 33.0 ft. Action stage — the level at which agencies begin preparing — is 26.0 ft. The ladder on this page shows each threshold against the current reading, with the NWS's own impact statements at each level.
Is Raritan River at Bound Brook high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 252 CFS, from 87 years of record (1903–2026). Today is 59% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 01403060 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for BDKN4 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.