Smith River (NH) at Bristol, NH
River level and flood forecast · Merrimack County
The river is 6.2 ft below flood stage (8 ft).
Forecast to rise to 3.4 ft Wed 2 PM, below the 8 ft flood stage.
Flow: 26 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Normal for October 13.
Usual for October 13: 17 to 68 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 109 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 Smith River (NH) at Bristol to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12 ft |
| Flood stage | 8 ft |
| Action stage | 6 ft |
| Record crest (March 19, 1936) | 16.09 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 16 ftSmith River Road floods in several locations from Bristol to Danbury.
- 14 ftFlooding begins on Smith River Road.
- 12 ftPrime farmland flooded from Bristol to Danbury.
- 8 ftMinor lowland flooding begins.
Highest crests on record
- 16.09 ft — March 19, 1936
- 11.41 ft — May 14, 2006
- 10.77 ft — September 22, 1938
- 10.44 ft — March 27, 1953
- 10.37 ft — April 12, 1934
Recent crests: 8.27 ft (December 18, 2023) · 8.18 ft (August 29, 2011) · 8.65 ft (April 17, 2007) · 11.41 ft (May 14, 2006) · 8.22 ft (April 4, 2005)
Highest flow on record
8,100 cubic feet per second — March 19, 1936. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1919.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BRSN3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.