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Little Chena River near Fairbanks

Highest listed crest 31.90 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft62 crests since 1967

The Little Chena River near Fairbanks crested above flood stage 8 times among the 62 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1967 to 2025. The highest, 31.90 ft on August 13, 1967, was moderate flooding, 6.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.90 ft
August 13, 1967; 17,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
0
8 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 3, 2014
26.59 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, Little Chena River near Fairbanks
Action stage21.024Aug 26, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.03May 28, 1992Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.05Jul 3, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

62 crests from 1967 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Chena River near Fairbanks, 1967 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Aug 13, 1967: 31.90 ft, moderate flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1968: 21.32 ft, action stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1969: 24.88 ft, action stage; 2,330 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1970: 19.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1971: 23.87 ft, action stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1972: 26.33 ft, moderate flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1973: 19.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1974: 16.47 ft, below flood stage; 980 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1975: 26.06 ft, moderate flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1976: 21.00 ft, action stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1977: 20.68 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1978: 14.48 ft, below flood stage; 664 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1979: 24.14 ft, action stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1980: 17.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1981: 20.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1982: 21.97 ft, action stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1983: 18.56 ft, below flood stageAug 31, 1983: 17.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1984: 21.15 ft, action stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1985: 22.99 ft, action stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1986: 24.83 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1988: 22.93 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1989: 25.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1990: 18.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1991: 25.00 ft, minor flooding; 2,580 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1992: 25.71 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1993: 19.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1994: 24.96 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1995: 21.12 ft, action stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1996: 18.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1997: 19.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1998: 18.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1999: 14.92 ft, below flood stage; 631 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2000: 21.67 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2000: 19.66 ft, below flood stageJul 4, 2002: 20.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2003: 26.43 ft, moderate flooding; 3,020 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2004: 19.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2005: 22.53 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2006: 17.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2007: 17.92 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 2007: 17.37 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2008: 21.53 ft, action stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2009: 23.28 ft, action stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2010: 15.01 ft, below flood stage; 701 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2011: 21.74 ft, action stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2012: 18.01 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2013: 21.61 ft, action stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2014: 26.59 ft, moderate flooding; 3,090 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2015: 22.68 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2016: 22.90 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2017: 18.28 ft, below flood stageMay 11, 2018: 20.39 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2019: 19.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2020: 21.86 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2021: 22.02 ft, action stageMay 7, 2021: 18.11 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 21.57 ft, action stageMay 8, 2023: 18.78 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 2023: 18.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2024: 18.98 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2025: 22.35 ft, action stage; 1,940 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.90 ft, Aug 13, 1967 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Chena River near Fairbanks 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 62 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Chena River near Fairbanks
1Aug 13, 196731.90+6.90Moderate17,000
2Jul 3, 201426.59+1.59Moderate3,090
3Jul 29, 200326.43+1.43Moderate3,020
4May 10, 197226.33+1.33Moderate2,860
5May 13, 197526.06+1.06Moderate2,980
6May 28, 199225.71+0.71Minor2,710
7Jun 27, 198925.11+0.11Minor2,530
8May 7, 199125.000.00Minor2,580
9Jun 27, 199424.96−0.04Action2,490
10Aug 6, 196924.88−0.12Action2,330
11Aug 23, 198624.83−0.17Action2,670
12May 2, 197924.14−0.86Action2,320
13May 14, 197123.87−1.13Action2,260
14May 2, 200923.28−1.72Action2,140
15May 25, 198522.99−2.01Action2,020
16Jun 17, 198822.93−2.07Action2,010
17Aug 1, 201622.90−2.10Action2,070
18Aug 28, 201522.68−2.32Action2,060
19Apr 28, 200522.53−2.47Action1,800
20Aug 26, 202522.35−2.65Action1,940
21Apr 27, 202122.02−2.98Action—
22Jun 21, 198221.97−3.03Action1,890
23May 11, 202021.86−3.14Action1,830
24Jul 5, 201121.74−3.26Action1,780
25May 25, 200021.67−3.33Action1,720
26Jun 6, 201321.61−3.39Action1,750
27May 6, 202221.57−3.43Action—
28Jul 31, 200821.53−3.47Action1,740
29May 7, 196821.32−3.68Action1,730
30Jul 27, 198421.15−3.85Action1,680
31Jun 27, 199521.12−3.88Action1,610
32May 4, 197621.00−4.00Action1,700
33Jun 14, 197720.68−4.32Below flood stage1,650
34Jul 9, 198120.60−4.40Below flood stage1,630
35Jul 4, 200220.47−4.53Below flood stage1,490
36May 11, 201820.39−4.61Below flood stage1,550
37Aug 17, 201919.83−5.17Below flood stage1,450
38Oct 3, 200019.66−5.34Below flood stage—
39Jul 1, 197019.64−5.36Below flood stage1,450
40Sep 20, 199319.62−5.38Below flood stage1,330
41May 10, 197319.43−5.57Below flood stage1,410
42May 8, 200419.30−5.70Below flood stage1,300
43May 3, 199719.02−5.98Below flood stage1,180
44Aug 4, 202418.98−6.02Below flood stage1,300
45Sep 7, 199018.96−6.04Below flood stage1,350
46May 8, 202318.78−6.22Below flood stage—
47Apr 27, 198318.56−6.44Below flood stage—
48Aug 11, 199618.41−6.59Below flood stage1,130
49Aug 18, 199818.41−6.59Below flood stage1,130
50May 3, 201718.28−6.72Below flood stage—

Other gauges in Fairbanks North Star Borough

Flood gauges in Fairbanks North Star Borough
Steese Hwy Bridge near Chatanika13.513.86 ft, Jul 28, 20030
Hunts Creek near Two Rivers17.220.17 ft, Apr 23, 20200
Moose Creek Dam near Fairbanks24.527.51 ft, Apr 24, 20200
Two Rivers20.023.65 ft, Jun 26, 19940
Salchaket15.021.78 ft, Aug 14, 19670
Fairbanks24.527.80 ft, Aug 16, 19671

Fairbanks North Star Borough: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alaska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHLA2, 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.