Passaic River at Chatham, NJ
River level and flood forecast · Morris County
The river is 1.7 ft below flood stage (6 ft).
Forecast to rise to 4.5 ft Tue 8 PM, below the 6 ft flood stage.
Flow: 235 cubic feet per second (USGS).
River camera
Watch the time-lapse
Camera by the U.S. Geological Survey. Most take a picture every hour, some every few minutes; many stop at night.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 3:02 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 Passaic River at Chatham to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 10 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 8 ft |
| Flood stage | 6 ft |
| Action stage | 5.5 ft |
| Record crest (August 2, 1973) | 9.36 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 11 ftFlooding begins between University Avenue and Route 24, north of Main Street.
- 10 ftCharwood and Brook Roads begin to flood. Passaic Street begins to flood near the intersection of Osborne Avenue. Edward Court begins to flood.
- 9 ftBusiness parking lots between Chatham Road and the Passaic River flood.
- 8 ftBusinesses along John F. Kennedy Parkway, west of the Morris Turnpike, begin to flood.
- 6.5 ftThe Central and Bridge Avenue bridges in Chatham Township are subject to closures. Edgewood Road is closed.
- 6 ftPortions of the Shepard Kolluck Park in Chatham floods. River Road by Henry Drive is subject to closures.
- 5.5 ftOpen areas adjacent to the Passaic River flood in New Providence, Chatham Township, and Berkley Heights.
Highest crests on record
- 9.36 ft — August 2, 1973
- 8.41 ft — September 2, 2021
- 8.16 ft — August 28, 1971
- 8.14 ft — September 27, 1975
- 8 ft — March 18, 1907
Recent crests: 7.27 ft (July 14, 2025) · 6.1 ft (May 14, 2025) · 6.43 ft (January 13, 2024) · 6.85 ft (December 18, 2023) · 8.41 ft (September 2, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamPassaic River near Millington, NJ
- DownstreamPassaic River at Pine Brook, NJ
- Green Brook at Seeley Mills, NJ
- Rahway River at Springfield, NJ
- Whippany River at Morristown, NJ
- Stony Brook at Watchung, NJ
- Stony Brook at North Plainfield, NJ
- Whippany River at Pine Brook, NJ
- Whippany River near Morristown, NJ
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CAMN4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.