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Little Susitna River near Palmer

Highest listed crest 9.00 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft49 crests since 1972

The Little Susitna River near Palmer crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2020. The highest, 9.00 ft on August 19, 2006, was major flooding, 2.50 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Little Susitna River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.00 ft
August 19, 2006; 6,140 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
Major flooding from 8.7 ft
Crests at major
2
9th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
August 6, 2018
6.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Near Wasilla (11.7 mi)

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 near Palmer
Action stage6.08Sep 13, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.59Aug 6, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.85Sep 21, 2012Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.72Aug 19, 2006Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1972 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Susitna River near Palmer, 1972 to 2020 456789ft Flood stage 6.5 ftMajor 8.7 ft Sep 12, 1972: 7.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1973: 7.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,340 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1974: 7.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,930 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1975: 5.82 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1976: 6.03 ft, action stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1977: 6.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,810 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1978: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1979: 7.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,130 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1980: 8.92 ft, major flooding; 3,440 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1981: 7.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,030 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1982: 8.31 ft, moderate flooding; 2,950 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1983: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1984: 8.17 ft, moderate flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1985: 8.07 ft, moderate flooding; 2,750 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1986: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1986: 8.17 ft, moderate flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1988: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 875 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1989: 5.82 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1990: 7.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1992: 5.51 ft, below flood stage; 907 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1993: 6.03 ft, action stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1994: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1995: 5.77 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1996: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 796 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1997: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1997: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1998: 6.09 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1999: 5.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2000: 6.37 ft, action stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2001: 5.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2002: 5.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2003: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2004: 5.95 ft, below flood stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2005: 6.36 ft, action stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2006: 9.00 ft, major flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 2007: 5.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2008: 4.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2009: 4.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2010: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 987 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2011: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2012: 8.26 ft, moderate flooding; 7,740 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2013: 6.41 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2014: 4.79 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 6.46 ft, action stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2016: 6.44 ft, action stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2017: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 876 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 2018: 6.67 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2019: 4.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2020: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.00 ft, Aug 19, 2006 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Susitna River near Palmer 1970s: 5 1980s: 7 7 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 23 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 6.33 ft on Jun 21, 1949; 4.25 ft on Jun 17, 1950; 5.25 ft on Jun 8, 1951; 5.66 ft on Jul 27, 1952; 5.56 ft on Aug 22, 1953; 5.58 ft on Jul 31, 1954; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Little Susitna River near Palmer
1Aug 19, 20069.00+2.50Major6,140
2Sep 15, 19808.92+2.42Major3,440
3Jul 25, 19828.31+1.81Moderate2,950
4Sep 21, 20128.26+1.76Moderate7,740
5Aug 25, 19848.17+1.67Moderate2,830
6Oct 11, 19868.17+1.67Moderate2,510
7Sep 15, 19858.07+1.57Moderate2,750
8Sep 10, 19907.77+1.27Minor2,200
9Sep 12, 19727.61+1.11Minor2,560
10Jul 20, 19867.55+1.05Minor2,050
11Aug 21, 19737.47+0.97Minor2,340
12Aug 27, 19747.20+0.70Minor2,930
13Jul 5, 19797.14+0.64Minor2,130
14Jul 10, 19817.11+0.61Minor2,030
15Jun 14, 19776.68+0.18Minor1,810
16Aug 6, 20186.67+0.17Minor3,140
17Sep 29, 20156.46−0.04Action3,170
18Sep 13, 20166.44−0.06Action3,130
19Jun 17, 20136.41−0.09Action3,100
20Sep 22, 20006.37−0.13Action2,760
21Sep 10, 20056.36−0.14Action2,760
22Jun 7, 19986.09−0.41Action2,200
23Jun 12, 19766.03−0.47Action1,430
24Sep 1, 19936.03−0.47Action1,270
25Sep 30, 20045.95−0.55Below flood stage2,080
26Jun 15, 19945.91−0.59Below flood stage1,880
27Aug 12, 19995.87−0.63Below flood stage1,780
28Jun 22, 19785.84−0.66Below flood stage1,120
29Sep 29, 19835.84−0.66Below flood stage1,370
30Aug 13, 19975.83−0.67Below flood stage1,720
31Sep 11, 19755.82−0.68Below flood stage1,360
32Jun 14, 19895.82−0.68Below flood stage1,050
33Jun 12, 19955.77−0.73Below flood stage1,630
34Jun 20, 20015.75−0.75Below flood stage1,630
35Aug 31, 19975.74−0.76Below flood stage1,580
36Aug 13, 20025.69−0.81Below flood stage1,600
37Jul 3, 20035.58−0.92Below flood stage1,580
38Jun 10, 19925.51−0.99Below flood stage907
39Jun 9, 19885.41−1.09Below flood stage875
40Jul 8, 20205.38−1.12Below flood stage1,860
41Aug 6, 20075.23−1.27Below flood stage1,380
42Jun 1, 19965.01−1.49Below flood stage796
43May 28, 20114.88−1.62Below flood stage1,190
44Jul 20, 20144.79−1.71Below flood stage1,280
45May 26, 20094.71−1.79Below flood stage1,170
46Jun 22, 20084.56−1.94Below flood stage1,160
47Aug 28, 20104.53−1.97Below flood stage987
48Jun 8, 20194.47−2.03Below flood stage1,020
49Jun 9, 20174.25−2.25Below flood stage876

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.

August 19, 2006: 9.00 ft here, major flooding

September 21, 2012: 8.26 ft here, moderate flooding

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 HoustonAK11.013.95 ft, Sep 22, 20122
Palmer this gaugeAK6.59.00 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
Parks Hwy Bridge near Houston11.013.95 ft, Sep 22, 20122
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 LSUA2, 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.