Sandy River (ME) at Mercer, ME
River level and flood forecast · Somerset County
The river is 7.4 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Forecast to rise to 4.0 ft Wed 2 PM, below the 10 ft flood stage.
Flow: 60 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Much lower than normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 120 to 522 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 91 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.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Sandy River (ME) at Mercer to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (April 1, 1987) | 19.25 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 19 ftApproaching levels seen during the historical 1987 flood. Significant property damage between Farmington and New Sharon. Hundreds of acres of farmland flooded in Mercer and Starks.
- 18 ftRoute 2 bridge in New Sharon flooded. Starks Road to Glen Harris Road flooded in New Sharon.
- 17 ftLevel comparable with December 2023. Dozens of properties between Farmington and New Sharon flooded. Access in and out of the region limited due to flooded bridges. Floodwaters several feet deep in Farmington along Main Street and Front Street.
- 16 ftMajor flooding occurs. Flooding impacts homes and businesses from Farmington Falls to Norridgewock. Main Street in Farmington flooded up to to 4 feet depth.
- 15 ftStarks Road in New Sharon flooded. Water enters businesses on Main Street in Farmington.
- 14 ftModerate flooding occurs. Businesses inundated along Main Street in Farmington south of the University. Floodwaters encroach on homes along East Sandy River Road in Mercer.
- 13 ftFlood waters encroach on properties along Front Street and Main Street in Farmington. Extensive flooding of recreational fields occurs. The flood extent along East Sandy River Road in Mercer cuts off access to multiple homes.
- 12 ftFlooding of Prescott Field and Hippach Field in Farmington, and low land pasture flooding downstream.
- 10 ftMinor flooding occurs on George Thomas Road in New Sharon. Floodwaters can encroach on low lying portion of West and East Sandy River Road in Mercer due to culverts backing up under certain conditions. Locals are advised to find alternate routes.
- 8 ftThe river is at bankfull in low lying areas, some erosion may occur.
Highest crests on record
- 19.25 ft — April 1, 1987
- 17.35 ft — December 19, 2023
- 16.75 ft — March 19, 1936
- 16.34 ft — March 28, 1953
- 15.85 ft — March 13, 1936
Recent crests: 17.35 ft (December 19, 2023) · 14.62 ft (May 2, 2023) · 14.62 ft (May 2, 2023) · 12 ft (December 14, 2010) · 12 ft (December 13, 2010)
Highest flow on record
51,100 cubic feet per second — April 1, 1987. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1929.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (MERM1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.