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Susitna River near Denali

Highest listed crest 13.32 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft27 crests since 1965

The Susitna River near Denali crested above flood stage 3 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2021. The highest, 13.32 ft on August 10, 1971, was moderate flooding, 0.82 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Susitna River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.32 ft
August 10, 1971; 38,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 28, 2003
12.70 ft, minor flooding
Identifiers
NWS SUDA2
Out of service

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Susitna River near Denali
Action stage11.520Apr 23, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.52Jul 28, 2003Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01Aug 10, 1971Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1965 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Susitna River near Denali, 1965 to 2021 1111.51212.51313.5ft Flood stage 12.5 ft Sep 9, 1965: 11.80 ft, action stage; 15,800 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1967: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1969: 11.73 ft, action stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1970: 11.38 ft, below flood stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1971: 13.32 ft, moderate flooding; 38,200 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1972: 11.87 ft, action stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1973: 11.81 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1974: 11.84 ft, action stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1975: 12.23 ft, action stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1976: 12.26 ft, action stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1977: 11.96 ft, action stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1978: 11.78 ft, action stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1979: 11.90 ft, action stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1980: 12.43 ft, action stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1981: 12.35 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1982: 11.79 ft, action stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1983: 11.92 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1984: 11.85 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1985: 11.94 ft, action stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2003: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2012: 12.46 ft, action stage; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2014: 11.39 ft, below flood stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2015: 11.55 ft, action stageJul 31, 2016: 11.97 ft, action stageJul 9, 2017: 11.41 ft, below flood stageApr 23, 2021: 12.06 ft, action stageAug 5, 2021: 11.00 ft, below flood stage Highest, 13.32 ft, Aug 10, 1971 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Susitna River near Denali 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 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

Highest listed crests, Susitna River near Denali
1Aug 10, 197113.32+0.82Moderate38,200
2Aug 14, 196712.70+0.20Minor28,200
3Jul 28, 200312.70+0.20Minor27,800
4Sep 21, 201212.46−0.04Action25,100
5Jul 28, 198012.43−0.07Action24,300
6Aug 9, 198112.35−0.15Action23,200
7Aug 4, 197612.26−0.24Action22,100
8Jul 12, 197512.23−0.27Action21,700
9Apr 23, 202112.06−0.44Action—
10Jul 31, 201611.97−0.53Action—
11Aug 11, 197711.96−0.54Action16,500
12Jul 2, 198511.94−0.56Action14,900
13Jul 7, 198311.92−0.58Action18,700
14Jul 6, 197911.90−0.60Action13,300
15Aug 7, 197211.87−0.63Action17,200
16Jul 26, 198411.85−0.65Action17,100
17Aug 28, 197411.84−0.66Action16,800
18Aug 23, 197311.81−0.69Action14,100
19Sep 9, 196511.80−0.70Action15,800
20Jul 31, 198211.79−0.71Action16,300
21Aug 3, 197811.78−0.72Action16,200
22Jun 22, 196911.73−0.77Action14,900
23Apr 5, 201511.55−0.95Action—
24Jul 9, 201711.41−1.09Below flood stage—
25Jul 12, 201411.39−1.11Below flood stage14,500
26Jul 30, 197011.38−1.12Below flood stage14,100
27Aug 5, 202111.00−1.50Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Susitna River

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

August 10, 1971: 13.32 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Gold CreekAK · Aug 10, 1971 · 16.36 ft · Moderate

August 14, 1967: 12.70 ft here, minor flooding

  • Gold CreekAK · Aug 15, 1967 · 15.93 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Susitna River

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

Flood gauges on the Susitna River
Gold CreekAK14.018.30 ft, Jun 15, 19620
Denali this gaugeAK12.513.32 ft, Aug 10, 19710

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
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
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 SUDA2, 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.