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Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston

Highest listed crest 13.95 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft19 crests since 1982

The Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2021. The highest, 13.95 ft on September 22, 2012, was major flooding, 2.95 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Little Susitna River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.95 ft
September 22, 2012; 6,235 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
2
9th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
September 30, 2015
11.07 ft, minor flooding
Location
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Near Wasilla (11.6 mi)
Identifiers
NWS LSHA2
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, Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston
Action stage8.57Aug 28, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.01Sep 30, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.01Oct 12, 1986Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.02Sep 22, 2012Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1982 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston, 1982 to 2021 468101214ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jul 26, 1982: 10.88 ft, action stageOct 12, 1986: 12.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 7, 2003: 6.84 ft, below flood stageOct 1, 2004: 9.50 ft, action stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2005: 10.40 ft, action stageAug 19, 2006: 13.78 ft, major floodingSep 10, 2007: 6.79 ft, below flood stageJul 27, 2008: 6.76 ft, below flood stageMay 14, 2009: 6.82 ft, below flood stageJul 27, 2010: 6.38 ft, below flood stage; 802 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2011: 9.89 ft, action stageSep 22, 2012: 13.95 ft, major flooding; 6,235 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2013: 9.09 ft, action stage; 2,049 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2014: 7.54 ft, below flood stageSep 30, 2015: 11.07 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2016: 10.71 ft, action stageJul 9, 2017: 6.43 ft, below flood stageJul 21, 2021: 4.50 ft, below flood stageAug 28, 2021: 9.27 ft, action stage Highest, 13.95 ft, Sep 22, 2012 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Little Susitna River at Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston
1Sep 22, 201213.95+2.95Major6,235
2Aug 19, 200613.78+2.78Major—
3Oct 12, 198612.50+1.50Moderate—
4Sep 30, 201511.07+0.07Minor—
5Jul 26, 198210.88−0.12Action—
6Oct 1, 201610.71−0.29Action—
7Sep 11, 200510.40−0.60Action—
8Aug 10, 20119.89−1.11Action—
9Oct 1, 20049.50−1.50Action1,990
10Aug 28, 20219.27−1.73Action—
11Sep 12, 20139.09−1.91Action2,049
12Jun 26, 20147.54−3.46Below flood stage—
13Jul 7, 20036.84−4.16Below flood stage—
14May 14, 20096.82−4.18Below flood stage—
15Sep 10, 20076.79−4.21Below flood stage—
16Jul 27, 20086.76−4.24Below flood stage—
17Jul 9, 20176.43−4.57Below flood stage—
18Jul 27, 20106.38−4.62Below flood stage802
19Jul 21, 20214.50−6.50Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Little Susitna River

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

September 22, 2012: 13.95 ft here, major flooding

August 19, 2006: 13.78 ft here, major flooding

October 12, 1986: 12.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PalmerAK · Oct 11, 1986 · 8.17 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Little Susitna River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Susitna River
Hatcher Pass Rd BridgeAK10.012.45 ft, Sep 21, 20120
Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston this gaugeAK11.013.95 ft, Sep 22, 20122
PalmerAK6.59.00 ft, Aug 19, 20062

Other gauges in Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Flood gauges in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Chelatna Lake near Lake Outlet3.34.29 ft, Sep 24, 20120
Willow176.0179.70 ft, Sep 21, 20120
Hatcher Pass Rd Bridge10.012.45 ft, Sep 21, 20120
Palmer6.59.00 ft, Aug 19, 20062
Paxson6.58.24 ft, Aug 11, 19710
Parks Highway Bridge9.011.30 ft, Oct 10, 19861
Oilwell Road near Trapper Creek16.519.05 ft, Jul 23, 20260
Palmer17.517.96 ft, Aug 7, 20180
Skwentna42.043.96 ft, Jun 25, 20120
Gold Creek14.018.30 ft, Jun 15, 19620
Denali12.513.32 ft, Aug 10, 19710
Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna13.016.55 ft, Oct 11, 19862
Talkeetna12.517.38 ft, Oct 11, 19862
Parks Highway near Willow10.013.86 ft, Oct 11, 19863
Willow5.99.01 ft, Oct 11, 19865
Lake Creek20.522.54 ft, Aug 30, 20250

Matanuska-Susitna Borough: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alaska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LSHA2, 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.