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Kenai River at Cooper Landing

Highest listed crest 17.18 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft71 crests since 1948

The Kenai River at Cooper Landing crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2020. The highest, 17.18 ft on September 21, 1974, was major flooding, 4.18 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Kenai River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.18 ft
September 21, 1974; 23,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.5 ft
Crests at major
1
18th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
August 4, 2019
14.62 ft, minor flooding

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Kenai River at Cooper Landing
Action stage12.024Jun 21, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.032Aug 4, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.54Sep 24, 2012Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.51Sep 21, 1974Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1948 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kenai River at Cooper Landing, 1948 to 2020 1012141618ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 16.5 ft Jul 10, 1948: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1949: 12.91 ft, action stage; 9,480 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 1949: 13.55 ft, minor flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1951: 12.00 ft, action stage; 8,960 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1952: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 7,980 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1953: 15.66 ft, moderate flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1954: 11.60 ft, below flood stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1955: 12.70 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1956: 12.09 ft, action stage; 9,000 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1957: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1957: 13.31 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1959: 12.01 ft, action stage; 8,980 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1960: 12.14 ft, action stage; 9,300 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 12.80 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1961: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1963: 12.04 ft, action stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1964: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1965: 10.97 ft, below flood stage; 6,840 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1967: 16.25 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1968: 11.18 ft, below flood stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1969: 12.04 ft, action stage; 8,980 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1969: 15.10 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1970: 15.10 ft, minor floodingJul 14, 1971: 12.87 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 1972: 11.76 ft, below flood stage; 8,420 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1973: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 6,650 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1974: 17.18 ft, major flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1975: 12.22 ft, action stage; 9,630 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1976: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1977: 14.64 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1978: 13.62 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1979: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1980: 13.67 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1981: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1982: 14.64 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 1982: 14.64 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1983: 13.16 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 1984: 12.21 ft, action stage; 9,300 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1985: 12.21 ft, action stageOct 14, 1986: 13.85 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1986: 11.75 ft, below flood stageOct 14, 1987: 13.85 ft, minor floodingJul 19, 1988: 12.24 ft, action stage; 9,380 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1989: 14.40 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1990: 11.89 ft, below flood stage; 8,210 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1991: 12.29 ft, action stage; 9,100 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1992: 12.07 ft, action stage; 8,610 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1993: 15.24 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1994: 11.53 ft, below flood stage; 8,370 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1995: 16.20 ft, moderate flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1996: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1997: 12.89 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1998: 13.00 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2000: 12.04 ft, action stage; 8,650 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2001: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2002: 14.74 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2003: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2005: 12.68 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2006: 12.92 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2009: 12.79 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2009: 14.02 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 13.61 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2012: 16.01 ft, moderate flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2013: 12.66 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2013: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2015: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2016: 12.83 ft, action stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2017: 15.06 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 12.85 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2019: 14.62 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2020: 10.69 ft, below flood stage; 6,580 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.18 ft, Sep 21, 1974 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kenai River at Cooper Landing 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 6 1980s: 8 8 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 6 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kenai River at Cooper Landing
1Sep 21, 197417.18+4.18Major23,100
2Sep 1, 196716.25+3.25Moderate21,500
3Sep 23, 199516.20+3.20Moderate20,300
4Sep 24, 201216.01+3.01Moderate19,600
5Jun 29, 195315.66+2.66Moderate20,600
6Sep 19, 199315.24+2.24Minor17,200
7Oct 14, 196915.10+2.10Minor17,500
8Oct 14, 197015.10+2.10Minor—
9Sep 24, 201715.06+2.06Minor16,900
10Sep 22, 200114.78+1.78Minor15,700
11Sep 23, 197614.75+1.75Minor15,800
12Oct 26, 200214.74+1.74Minor15,600
13Aug 11, 197714.64+1.64Minor15,500
14Jun 29, 198214.64+1.64Minor—
15Sep 29, 198214.64+1.64Minor15,500
16Aug 4, 201914.62+1.62Minor15,700
17Sep 6, 195714.45+1.45Minor16,300
18Aug 6, 199614.45+1.45Minor14,700
19Aug 28, 198914.40+1.40Minor14,600
20Sep 24, 196414.30+1.30Minor14,200
21Oct 8, 200314.04+1.04Minor13,600
22Oct 13, 200914.02+1.02Minor14,000
23Oct 14, 198613.85+0.85Minor13,400
24Oct 14, 198713.85+0.85Minor—
25Oct 8, 196113.80+0.80Minor14,000
26Oct 15, 201313.80+0.80Minor13,400
27Aug 10, 198113.70+0.70Minor12,900
28Jul 15, 198013.67+0.67Minor12,900
29Sep 15, 197813.62+0.62Minor12,800
30Sep 8, 201113.61+0.61Minor13,000
31Sep 3, 201513.60+0.60Minor12,900
32Oct 28, 194913.55+0.55Minor11,600
33Nov 4, 195713.31+0.31Minor12,400
34Aug 17, 197913.25+0.25Minor11,700
35Jul 10, 194813.20+0.20Minor10,400
36Oct 1, 198313.16+0.16Minor—
37Jul 7, 199813.000.00Minor10,800
38Oct 11, 200612.92−0.08Action10,600
39Sep 7, 194912.91−0.09Action9,480
40Sep 26, 199712.89−0.11Action10,500
41Jul 14, 197112.87−0.13Action10,600
42Jun 21, 201812.85−0.15Action11,300
43Jun 27, 201612.83−0.17Action10,900
44Sep 14, 196112.80−0.20Action10,800
45Jul 31, 200912.79−0.21Action10,700
46Jul 12, 195512.70−0.30Action10,600
47Oct 31, 200512.68−0.32Action10,000
48Jun 20, 201312.66−0.34Action11,100
49Nov 8, 199112.29−0.71Action9,100
50Jul 19, 198812.24−0.76Action9,380

The worst floods along the Kenai River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Kenai River that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 21, 1974: 17.18 ft here, major flooding

  • SoldotnaAK · Sep 23, 1974 · 12.15 ft · Minor

September 23, 1995: 16.20 ft here, moderate flooding

September 24, 2012: 16.01 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Kenai River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Kenai River
Cooper Landing this gaugeAK13.017.18 ft, Sep 21, 19741
Kenai Keys near SterlingAK11.015.52 ft, Sep 24, 19952
SoldotnaAK12.022.62 ft, Jan 18, 19693
Killey RiverAK13.213.52 ft, Nov 6, 20020
Skilak Lake Outlet near SterlingAK13.015.56 ft, Sep 26, 20120

Other gauges in Kenai Peninsula Borough

Flood gauges in Kenai Peninsula Borough
Anchor Point15.520.83 ft, Dec 30, 20154
Anchor Point8.010.86 ft, Dec 3, 19780
Grouse Lake Outlet near Seward8.09.71 ft, Sep 19, 20120
Kenai Keys near Sterling11.015.52 ft, Sep 24, 19952
Soldotna12.022.62 ft, Jan 18, 19693
Killey River13.213.52 ft, Nov 6, 20020
Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling13.015.56 ft, Sep 26, 20120
Exit Glacier Road near Seward17.519.97 ft, Sep 19, 20120
Seward Hwy Bridge near Seward12.016.05 ft, Sep 20, 19953
Nash Road near Seward10.511.33 ft, Oct 16, 20180
Lawing10.012.50 ft, Sep 21, 19950

Kenai Peninsula Borough: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alaska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge COOA2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.