Saco River at Cornish, ME
River level and flood forecast · Cumberland County
The river is 11.6 ft below flood stage (13.5 ft).
Flow: 588 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Lower than normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 681 to 1,760 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 111 years).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Saco River at Cornish to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 15 ft |
| Flood stage | 13.5 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (March 21, 1936) | 21.9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22 ftDisastrous flooding occurs along the Saco River. Record Flooding exceeding the March 21, 1936 flood, and almost 6 feet higher than the flood of 1987. Inundation is around the FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 20 ftExtremely severe flooding occurs along the Saco River from Cornish to Bonny Eagle. This will approach the March 29, 1953 flood, which reached 20.5 feet. Inundation is around the FEMA 1 percent flood level. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 16.5 ftVery severe flooding occurs from Cornish to Bonny Eagle, comparable to the flood of 1987. Numerous structures become flooded with buildings on campgrounds flooded by several feet. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 16 ftSevere flooding occurs from Cornish to Bonny Eagle. This is a dangerous situation.
- 15 ftModerate flooding occurs downstream in Limington. Access roads of Island Drive and River Road become impassable.
- 13.5 ftMinor flooding occurs along River Road in Cornish and downstream in Limington. Some permanent buildings on the campgrounds become isolated.
- 11 ftRiver is out of banks and into Bonny Eagle Recreational fields and farmland off Sokokis Ave in Limington. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for recreational paddling.
- 10 ftRecreational floating the river is too hazardous due to strong turbulence and high flows. Faster flows along the river are expected but no flooding occurs. Campers near the river should move to higher ground.
Highest crests on record
- 21.9 ft — March 21, 1936
- 20.51 ft — March 29, 1953
- 16.54 ft — April 3, 1987
- 15.11 ft — June 18, 1998
- 14.72 ft — May 2, 1923
Recent crests: 12.84 ft (December 21, 2023) · 13.03 ft (May 5, 2023) · 12.97 ft (April 23, 2019) · 10.3 ft (November 2, 2017) · 7.3 ft (March 15, 2016)
Highest flow on record
46,600 cubic feet per second — March 21, 1936. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1917.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CNHM1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.