Penobscot River at West Enfield, ME
River level and flood forecast · Penobscot County
The river is 15.9 ft below flood stage (17 ft).
Forecast to rise to 1.8 ft Thu 8 AM, below the 17 ft flood stage.
Flow: 2,400 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Much lower than normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 5,050 to 8,840 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 124 years).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:14 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
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An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Penobscot River at West Enfield to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 24 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 17 ft |
| Action stage | 15.5 ft |
| Record crest (May 1, 1923) | 25.15 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 25 ftComparable to the FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. Record flooding similar to the Flood of 1923.
- 24 ftTransportation across the area will be severely impacted. Several portions of US Route 2 flooded and impassable between West Enfield and Milford. State Route 116 has extensive flooding between the Stillwater River and Howland.
- 23 ftComparable to the FEMA 1 percent flood level with similar impacts to the 1987 floods. Significant flooding of US Route 2 from Sunkhaze Stream to Greenbush Station with several homes inundated. Significant flooding of State Route 116 in areas from the Stillwater River north to Lagoon Lane in Howland.
- 21 ftClosure of Route 2 likely between Greenbush and Milford. Flooding on US Route 2 can occur along the confluences with the Sunkhaze Stream or Costigan Brook in Milford, and the Boonridge or Stevens Brook in Greenbush due to backwater effects.
- 20 ftExtensive flooding along US Route 2 and State Route 116 between Howland and West Enfield to Old Town and Milford. Extensive backwater issues on several streams and creeks will cause minor flooding of US Route 2 and State Route 116. Homes and structures near the Penobscot River and tributaries will be threatened by flood waters.
- 18 ftRiver is out of banks with extensive flooding along low-lying areas of US Route 2 and State Route 116. Extensive backwater flooding on Costigan Brook, Sunkhaze Stream, Olamon Stream, Lancaster Brook and Passadumkeag River will encroach on structures between Milford and West Enfield similar to December 2023 flooding. Greenfield Road floods and impassable between St. Regis Road to near Lindey Lane.
- 17 ftLow-lying flooding of properties close to the river between West Enfield and Milford. Backwater issues will cause low-lying flooding on the Sunkhaze and Olamon Stream, Costigan and Boombridge Brook and Passadumkeag River.
- 16 ftRiver approaches bankfull, basement flooding is possible and dangerous flows pose a threat to life for river activities.
Highest crests on record
- 25.15 ft — May 1, 1923
- 23.58 ft — April 2, 1987
- 22.03 ft — March 21, 1936
- 21.66 ft — April 30, 1973
- 21.62 ft — May 1, 2008
Recent crests: 18.6 ft (December 20, 2023) · 16.09 ft (December 2, 2020) · 16.44 ft (April 15, 2020) · 17.11 ft (April 22, 2019) · 16.62 ft (April 27, 2018)
Highest flow on record
153,000 cubic feet per second — May 1, 1923. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1902.
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamPenobscot River above Grindstone, ME
- DownstreamPenobscot River at Eddington, ME
- Piscataquis River at Medford, ME
- Sebec River at Sebec, ME
- Mattawamkeag River at Mattawamkeag, ME
- Kenduskeag Stream near Bangor, ME
- Black Stream near Dover-Foxcroft, ME
- Penobscot River at Bangor, ME
- Piscataquis River at Dover-Foxcroft, ME
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (WENM1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.