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Kenai River at Kenai Keys near Sterling

Highest listed crest 15.52 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft30 crests since 1962

The Kenai River at Kenai Keys near Sterling crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 30 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1962 to 2023. The highest, 15.52 ft on September 24, 1995, was major flooding, 4.52 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Kenai River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.52 ft
September 24, 1995
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
2
9th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
September 13, 2023
11.98 ft, minor flooding
Identifiers
NWS KEYA2
No USGS station

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 Kenai Keys near Sterling
Action stage10.012Oct 6, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.07Sep 13, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.54Sep 26, 2012Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.02Sep 24, 1995Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

30 crests from 1962 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kenai River at Kenai Keys near Sterling, 1962 to 2023 810121416ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Sep 19, 1962: 9.60 ft, below flood stageSep 9, 1977: 14.91 ft, major floodingAug 17, 1979: 12.94 ft, moderate floodingAug 13, 1981: 11.96 ft, minor floodingSep 3, 1989: 13.65 ft, moderate floodingJul 25, 1995: 10.16 ft, action stageSep 24, 1995: 15.52 ft, major floodingOct 20, 1995: 10.47 ft, action stageOct 24, 2002: 12.52 ft, moderate floodingNov 27, 2002: 11.98 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 2003: 10.41 ft, action stageJul 30, 2004: 10.48 ft, action stageJul 22, 2005: 9.66 ft, below flood stageJul 30, 2006: 10.06 ft, action stageJul 31, 2007: 9.93 ft, below flood stageAug 11, 2008: 10.28 ft, action stageAug 1, 2009: 11.69 ft, minor floodingAug 17, 2010: 9.88 ft, below flood stage; 12,356 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2011: 10.51 ft, action stage; 14,016 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2012: 13.20 ft, moderate floodingOct 1, 2012: 11.82 ft, minor floodingAug 16, 2014: 11.90 ft, minor floodingJul 8, 2015: 10.10 ft, action stageAug 10, 2016: 10.56 ft, action stageSep 26, 2017: 10.42 ft, action stageJun 22, 2018: 10.74 ft, action stageJul 11, 2019: 11.27 ft, minor floodingOct 6, 2020: 10.75 ft, action stageJul 23, 2021: 9.61 ft, below flood stageSep 13, 2023: 11.98 ft, minor flooding Highest, 15.52 ft, Sep 24, 1995 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kenai River at Kenai Keys near Sterling 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Kenai River at Kenai Keys near Sterling
1Sep 24, 199515.52+4.52Major—
2Sep 9, 197714.91+3.91Major—
3Sep 3, 198913.65+2.65Moderate—
4Sep 26, 201213.20+2.20Moderate—
5Aug 17, 197912.94+1.94Moderate—
6Oct 24, 200212.52+1.52Moderate—
7Nov 27, 200211.98+0.98Minor—
8Sep 13, 202311.98+0.98Minor—
9Aug 13, 198111.96+0.96Minor—
10Aug 16, 201411.90+0.90Minor—
11Oct 1, 201211.82+0.82Minor—
12Aug 1, 200911.69+0.69Minor—
13Jul 11, 201911.27+0.27Minor—
14Oct 6, 202010.75−0.25Action—
15Jun 22, 201810.74−0.26Action—
16Aug 10, 201610.56−0.44Action—
17Sep 11, 201110.51−0.49Action14,016
18Jul 30, 200410.48−0.52Action—
19Oct 20, 199510.47−0.53Action—
20Sep 26, 201710.42−0.58Action—
21Oct 7, 200310.41−0.59Action—
22Aug 11, 200810.28−0.72Action—
23Jul 25, 199510.16−0.84Action—
24Jul 8, 201510.10−0.90Action—
25Jul 30, 200610.06−0.94Action—
26Jul 31, 20079.93−1.07Below flood stage—
27Aug 17, 20109.88−1.12Below flood stage12,356
28Jul 22, 20059.66−1.34Below flood stage—
29Jul 23, 20219.61−1.39Below flood stage—
30Sep 19, 19629.60−1.40Below flood stage—

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 24, 1995: 15.52 ft here, major flooding

September 9, 1977: 14.91 ft here, major flooding

  • SoldotnaAK · Sep 9, 1977 · 13.45 ft · Moderate

September 3, 1989: 13.65 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 LandingAK13.017.18 ft, Sep 21, 19741
Kenai Keys near Sterling this gaugeAK11.015.52 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
Cooper Landing13.017.18 ft, Sep 21, 19741
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 KEYA2, 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.