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Kenai River below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling

Highest listed crest 15.56 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft28 crests since 1997

The Kenai River below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling crested above flood stage 11 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1997 to 2023. The highest, 15.56 ft on September 26, 2012, was moderate flooding, 2.56 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Kenai River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.56 ft
September 26, 2012; 29,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
0
11 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 13, 2023
15.16 ft, moderate 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 below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling
Action stage12.011Jul 11, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.08Aug 24, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.23Sep 13, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1997 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kenai River below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling, 1997 to 2023 111213141516ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Sep 28, 1997: 12.49 ft, action stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1998: 12.51 ft, action stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1999: 12.12 ft, action stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2000: 12.12 ft, action stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2001: 13.21 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2002: 11.86 ft, below flood stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2002: 13.95 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2003: 13.27 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2005: 11.79 ft, below flood stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2006: 12.35 ft, action stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2006: 11.61 ft, below flood stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2008: 12.35 ft, action stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2009: 15.02 ft, moderate flooding; 25,800 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2010: 12.19 ft, action stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2011: 12.81 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2012: 15.56 ft, moderate flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2013: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2014: 14.03 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2015: 11.93 ft, below flood stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2016: 12.61 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2017: 12.69 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2018: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2019: 12.96 ft, action stage; 18,800 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2020: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2020: 13.07 ft, minor flooding; 19,204 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2021: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 13,266 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2022: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 19,556 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2023: 15.16 ft, moderate flooding; 27,038 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.56 ft, Sep 26, 2012 20002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kenai River below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling 1990s: 0 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling
1Sep 26, 201215.56+2.56Moderate29,100
2Sep 13, 202315.16+2.16Moderate27,038
3Aug 14, 200915.02+2.02Moderate25,800
4Aug 18, 201414.03+1.03Minor22,100
5Nov 27, 200213.95+0.95Minor21,400
6Sep 27, 201313.48+0.48Minor20,100
7Oct 10, 200313.27+0.27Minor18,400
8Sep 2, 200113.21+0.21Minor18,500
9Aug 24, 202213.20+0.20Minor19,556
10Sep 22, 201813.10+0.10Minor18,900
11Oct 6, 202013.07+0.07Minor19,204
12Jul 11, 201912.96−0.04Action18,800
13Sep 11, 201112.81−0.19Action17,100
14Sep 26, 201712.69−0.31Action17,400
15Aug 9, 201612.61−0.39Action17,100
16Jul 9, 199812.51−0.49Action15,900
17Sep 28, 199712.49−0.51Action15,900
18Jul 30, 200612.35−0.65Action15,400
19Sep 11, 200812.35−0.65Action15,400
20Aug 8, 201012.19−0.81Action14,900
21Aug 8, 199912.12−0.88Action14,600
22Jul 20, 200012.12−0.88Action14,600
23Jul 9, 201511.93−1.07Below flood stage15,100
24Jul 27, 200211.86−1.14Below flood stage13,800
25Jul 21, 200511.79−1.21Below flood stage13,500
26Oct 14, 200611.61−1.39Below flood stage12,900
27Aug 9, 202011.52−1.48Below flood stage13,300
28Oct 7, 202111.43−1.57Below flood stage13,266

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 26, 2012: 15.56 ft here, moderate flooding

September 13, 2023: 15.16 ft here, moderate flooding

August 14, 2009: 15.02 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SoldotnaAK · Aug 17, 2009 · 12.03 ft · Minor

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 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 Sterling this gaugeAK13.015.56 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
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
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 SKLA2, 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.