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Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna

Highest listed crest 16.55 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft41 crests since 1979

The Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2026. The highest, 16.55 ft on October 11, 1986, was major flooding, 3.55 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Talkeetna River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.55 ft
October 11, 1986
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
2
9th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
July 23, 2026
14.25 ft, moderate flooding
Identifiers
NWS TKTA2
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, Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna
Action stage12.04Jun 2, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.02Aug 19, 2006Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.02Jul 23, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.02Sep 21, 2012Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1979 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna, 1979 to 2026 681012141618ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jul 16, 1979: 12.70 ft, action stageJul 28, 1980: 12.70 ft, action stageAug 2, 1981: 13.30 ft, minor floodingJul 26, 1982: 11.50 ft, below flood stageAug 9, 1983: 10.40 ft, below flood stageAug 25, 1984: 12.15 ft, action stageSep 15, 1985: 10.99 ft, below flood stageOct 11, 1986: 16.55 ft, major floodingJul 31, 1987: 11.75 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1988: 9.71 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 1989: 11.02 ft, below flood stageSep 14, 1990: 11.57 ft, below flood stageJun 22, 1991: 9.88 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 1992: 9.83 ft, below flood stageSep 2, 1993: 10.64 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1994: 10.89 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 1995: 10.29 ft, below flood stageAug 2, 1996: 9.15 ft, below flood stageJul 31, 1997: 9.70 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 1998: 11.70 ft, below flood stageAug 13, 1999: 11.50 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 2000: 10.55 ft, below flood stageMay 21, 2002: 10.35 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 2003: 11.34 ft, below flood stageMay 9, 2004: 7.99 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 2005: 10.20 ft, below flood stageAug 19, 2006: 13.82 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2008: 7.80 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2009: 8.35 ft, below flood stageJul 22, 2010: 8.10 ft, below flood stageJul 27, 2010: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 13,967 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2011: 7.75 ft, below flood stage; 12,967 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2012: 15.65 ft, major flooding; 51,870 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2013: 12.48 ft, action stageJun 26, 2014: 11.14 ft, below flood stageSep 29, 2015: 11.07 ft, below flood stageSep 13, 2016: 11.44 ft, below flood stageJul 9, 2017: 10.59 ft, below flood stageAug 28, 2021: 11.48 ft, below flood stageAug 30, 2025: 14.93 ft, moderate floodingJul 23, 2026: 14.25 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 16.55 ft, Oct 11, 1986 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Talkeetna River at Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna
1Oct 11, 198616.55+3.55Major—
2Sep 21, 201215.65+2.65Major51,870
3Aug 30, 202514.93+1.93Moderate—
4Jul 23, 202614.25+1.25Moderate—
5Aug 19, 200613.82+0.82Minor—
6Aug 2, 198113.30+0.30Minor—
7Jul 16, 197912.70−0.30Action—
8Jul 28, 198012.70−0.30Action—
9Jun 2, 201312.48−0.52Action—
10Aug 25, 198412.15−0.85Action—
11Jul 31, 198711.75−1.25Below flood stage—
12Jun 8, 199811.70−1.30Below flood stage—
13Sep 14, 199011.57−1.43Below flood stage—
14Jul 26, 198211.50−1.50Below flood stage—
15Aug 13, 199911.50−1.50Below flood stage—
16Aug 28, 202111.48−1.52Below flood stage—
17Sep 13, 201611.44−1.56Below flood stage—
18Jul 28, 200311.34−1.66Below flood stage—
19Jun 26, 201411.14−1.86Below flood stage—
20Sep 29, 201511.07−1.93Below flood stage—
21Jun 15, 198911.02−1.98Below flood stage—
22Sep 15, 198510.99−2.01Below flood stage—
23Jun 16, 199410.89−2.11Below flood stage—
24Sep 2, 199310.64−2.36Below flood stage—
25Jul 9, 201710.59−2.41Below flood stage—
26Jun 28, 200010.55−2.45Below flood stage—
27Aug 9, 198310.40−2.60Below flood stage—
28May 21, 200210.35−2.65Below flood stage—
29Jun 24, 199510.29−2.71Below flood stage—
30Jun 19, 200510.20−2.80Below flood stage—
31Jun 22, 19919.88−3.12Below flood stage—
32Jun 2, 19929.83−3.17Below flood stage—
33Jun 16, 19889.71−3.29Below flood stage—
34Jul 31, 19979.70−3.30Below flood stage—
35Aug 2, 19969.15−3.85Below flood stage—
36May 28, 20098.35−4.65Below flood stage—
37Jul 22, 20108.10−4.90Below flood stage—
38Jul 27, 20108.05−4.95Below flood stage13,967
39May 9, 20047.99−5.01Below flood stage—
40Jun 23, 20087.80−5.20Below flood stage—
41Aug 3, 20117.75−5.25Below flood stage12,967

The worst floods along the Talkeetna River

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

October 11, 1986: 16.55 ft here, major flooding

  • TalkeetnaAK · Oct 11, 1986 · 17.38 ft · Major · its highest

September 21, 2012: 15.65 ft here, major flooding

  • TalkeetnaAK · Sep 21, 2012 · 17.16 ft · Major

August 19, 2006: 13.82 ft here, minor flooding

  • TalkeetnaAK · Aug 19, 2006 · 15.38 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Talkeetna River

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

Flood gauges on the Talkeetna River
Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna this gaugeAK13.016.55 ft, Oct 11, 19862
TalkeetnaAK12.517.38 ft, Oct 11, 19862

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
Denali12.513.32 ft, Aug 10, 19710
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 TKTA2, 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.