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Maclaren River near Paxson

Highest listed crest 8.24 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft39 crests since 1958

The Maclaren River near Paxson crested above flood stage 11 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1958 to 2017. The highest, 8.24 ft on August 11, 1971, was moderate flooding, 1.74 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.24 ft
August 11, 1971; 9,260 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
11 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 22, 2012
7.42 ft, minor flooding
Identifiers
NWS MACA2
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, Maclaren River near Paxson
Action stage5.521Aug 13, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.59Sep 22, 2012Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.52Aug 19, 2006Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1958 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Maclaren River near Paxson, 1958 to 2017 456789ft Flood stage 6.5 ft Aug 4, 1958: 5.64 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1959: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1960: 7.14 ft, minor flooding; 8,920 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1961: 6.05 ft, action stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1962: 6.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1963: 7.27 ft, minor flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1965: 6.00 ft, action stage; 4,840 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1966: 5.65 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1967: 7.34 ft, minor flooding; 7,460 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1968: 6.01 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1969: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 4,140 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1970: 5.70 ft, action stage; 4,730 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1971: 8.24 ft, moderate flooding; 9,260 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1972: 7.14 ft, minor flooding; 7,070 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1973: 6.21 ft, action stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1974: 5.70 ft, action stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1975: 6.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1976: 5.85 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1977: 6.12 ft, action stage; 5,220 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1978: 5.42 ft, below flood stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1979: 5.60 ft, action stage; 4,380 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1980: 6.53 ft, minor flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1981: 6.87 ft, minor flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1982: 6.20 ft, action stage; 5,360 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1984: 5.93 ft, action stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1985: 6.38 ft, action stage; 7,190 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2005: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2006: 8.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 21, 2007: 5.50 ft, action stageJul 26, 2008: 5.50 ft, action stageSep 5, 2008: 5.50 ft, action stageJul 16, 2010: 4.94 ft, below flood stageMay 23, 2011: 6.10 ft, action stageSep 22, 2012: 7.42 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2013: 6.06 ft, action stageJul 7, 2014: 5.38 ft, below flood stageSep 30, 2015: 6.44 ft, action stageAug 13, 2016: 6.31 ft, action stageJun 12, 2017: 5.34 ft, below flood stage Highest, 8.24 ft, Aug 11, 1971 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Maclaren River near Paxson 1950s: 0 1960s: 4 4 1970s: 3 1980s: 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Maclaren River near Paxson
1Aug 11, 19718.24+1.74Moderate9,260
2Aug 19, 20068.20+1.70Moderate—
3Sep 22, 20127.42+0.92Minor—
4Aug 14, 19677.34+0.84Minor7,460
5Jul 18, 19637.27+0.77Minor7,300
6Sep 13, 19607.14+0.64Minor8,920
7Jun 16, 19727.14+0.64Minor7,070
8Aug 10, 19816.87+0.37Minor6,650
9Jun 14, 19626.85+0.35Minor6,540
10Sep 11, 19756.67+0.17Minor5,790
11Jul 28, 19806.53+0.03Minor5,930
12Sep 30, 20156.44−0.06Action—
13Jul 2, 19856.38−0.12Action7,190
14Aug 13, 20166.31−0.19Action—
15Jun 15, 19736.21−0.29Action5,140
16Jun 28, 19826.20−0.30Action5,360
17Jun 19, 19776.12−0.38Action5,220
18May 23, 20116.10−0.40Action—
19Jun 18, 20136.06−0.44Action—
20Aug 5, 19616.05−0.45Action6,540
21Jun 14, 19686.01−0.49Action5,040
22Jul 14, 19656.00−0.50Action4,840
23Jun 28, 19845.93−0.57Action4,950
24Aug 7, 19765.85−0.65Action4,700
25Aug 1, 19705.70−0.80Action4,730
26May 31, 19745.70−0.80Action4,440
27Jun 7, 19665.65−0.85Action4,210
28Aug 4, 19585.64−0.86Action5,770
29Jun 26, 19795.60−0.90Action4,380
30May 21, 20075.50−1.00Action—
31Jul 26, 20085.50−1.00Action—
32Sep 5, 20085.50−1.00Action—
33Jun 16, 19695.45−1.05Below flood stage4,140
34Jul 11, 19785.42−1.08Below flood stage4,090
35Jul 7, 20055.40−1.10Below flood stage4,400
36Jul 7, 20145.38−1.12Below flood stage—
37Jun 12, 20175.34−1.16Below flood stage—
38Jun 22, 19595.02−1.48Below flood stage4,410
39Jul 16, 20104.94−1.56Below flood stage—

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
Palmer6.59.00 ft, Aug 19, 20062
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 MACA2, 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.