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Talkeetna River near Talkeetna

Highest listed crest 17.38 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft55 crests since 1964

The Talkeetna River near Talkeetna crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 55 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2020. The highest, 17.38 ft on October 11, 1986, was major flooding, 4.88 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
17.38 ft
October 11, 1986; 75,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
2
9th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
September 21, 2012
17.16 ft, major flooding

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Talkeetna River near Talkeetna
Action stage10.519May 31, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.51Jul 11, 1981Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.03Aug 19, 2006Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.02Sep 21, 2012Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

55 crests from 1964 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Talkeetna River near Talkeetna, 1964 to 2020 681012141618ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jun 1, 1964: 12.30 ft, action stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1965: 11.08 ft, action stage; 25,900 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1966: 11.53 ft, action stage; 28,600 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1967: 15.75 ft, moderate flooding; 59,400 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1968: 10.89 ft, action stage; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1969: 9.30 ft, below flood stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1970: 10.62 ft, action stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1971: 16.35 ft, moderate flooding; 67,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1972: 11.92 ft, action stage; 36,500 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1973: 10.87 ft, action stage; 30,200 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1974: 10.11 ft, below flood stage; 24,500 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1975: 9.74 ft, below flood stage; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1976: 9.49 ft, below flood stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1977: 11.14 ft, action stage; 30,600 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1978: 8.94 ft, below flood stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1979: 11.35 ft, action stage; 32,000 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1980: 11.71 ft, action stage; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1981: 13.31 ft, minor flooding; 45,700 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1982: 12.25 ft, action stage; 38,200 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1983: 8.62 ft, below flood stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1984: 11.67 ft, action stage; 34,200 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1985: 10.81 ft, action stage; 29,000 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1986: 9.46 ft, below flood stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1986: 17.38 ft, major flooding; 75,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1988: 8.48 ft, below flood stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1989: 10.60 ft, action stage; 27,600 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1990: 11.15 ft, action stage; 30,300 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1991: 9.03 ft, below flood stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1993: 10.19 ft, below flood stage; 25,400 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1994: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1995: 9.72 ft, below flood stage; 23,000 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1996: 8.23 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1997: 9.52 ft, below flood stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1998: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 23,700 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1999: 11.79 ft, action stage; 31,700 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2000: 10.49 ft, below flood stage; 24,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2001: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2002: 10.25 ft, below flood stage; 22,800 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2003: 11.05 ft, action stage; 27,300 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2004: 7.65 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2005: 10.51 ft, action stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2006: 15.38 ft, moderate flooding; 57,600 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2008: 8.52 ft, below flood stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2009: 8.75 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2010: 8.41 ft, below flood stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2011: 8.14 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2012: 17.16 ft, major flooding; 73,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2013: 11.38 ft, action stage; 32,600 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2014: 8.82 ft, below flood stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2016: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2017: 9.89 ft, below flood stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 2018: 10.30 ft, below flood stage; 26,400 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2019: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 8.79 ft, below flood stage; 18,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.38 ft, Oct 11, 1986 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Talkeetna River near Talkeetna 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 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

The 50 highest of 55 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Talkeetna River near Talkeetna
1Oct 11, 198617.38+4.88Major75,700
2Sep 21, 201217.16+4.66Major73,200
3Aug 10, 197116.35+3.85Moderate67,400
4Jul 20, 196715.75+3.25Moderate59,400
5Aug 19, 200615.38+2.88Moderate57,600
6Jul 11, 198113.31+0.81Minor45,700
7Jun 1, 196412.30−0.20Action33,200
8Jul 25, 198212.25−0.25Action38,200
9Jun 17, 197211.92−0.58Action36,500
10Aug 13, 199911.79−0.71Action31,700
11Jul 28, 198011.71−0.79Action34,500
12Aug 25, 198411.67−0.83Action34,200
13Jun 7, 196611.53−0.97Action28,600
14May 31, 201311.38−1.12Action32,600
15Jul 15, 197911.35−1.15Action32,000
16Sep 13, 199011.15−1.35Action30,300
17Jun 15, 197711.14−1.36Action30,600
18Sep 27, 196511.08−1.42Action25,900
19Jul 17, 200311.05−1.45Action27,300
20Jun 13, 196810.89−1.61Action25,000
21Jun 16, 197310.87−1.63Action30,200
22Jul 21, 198510.81−1.69Action29,000
23Jun 28, 197010.62−1.88Action23,400
24Jun 15, 198910.60−1.90Action27,600
25Sep 10, 200510.51−1.99Action24,300
26Jun 28, 200010.49−2.01Below flood stage24,200
27Jun 9, 199810.40−2.10Below flood stage23,700
28Aug 6, 201810.30−2.20Below flood stage26,400
29May 22, 200210.25−2.25Below flood stage22,800
30Sep 1, 199310.19−2.31Below flood stage25,400
31Aug 28, 197410.11−2.39Below flood stage24,500
32Jul 9, 20179.89−2.61Below flood stage24,300
33Jul 12, 19759.74−2.76Below flood stage22,200
34Jun 23, 19959.72−2.78Below flood stage23,000
35Jun 22, 19949.53−2.97Below flood stage22,000
36Aug 13, 19979.52−2.98Below flood stage19,200
37Jun 11, 19769.49−3.01Below flood stage20,700
38Jul 21, 19869.46−3.04Below flood stage20,600
39May 25, 19699.30−3.20Below flood stage16,800
40Jun 12, 20019.16−3.34Below flood stage17,500
41Sep 29, 20159.04−3.46Below flood stage20,000
42Jun 22, 19919.03−3.47Below flood stage18,900
43Jul 7, 19788.94−3.56Below flood stage17,400
44Jun 26, 20148.82−3.68Below flood stage19,800
45May 31, 20208.79−3.71Below flood stage18,800
46May 28, 20098.75−3.75Below flood stage15,600
47Aug 9, 19838.62−3.88Below flood stage16,500
48Sep 13, 20168.60−3.90Below flood stage17,900
49Jul 29, 20088.52−3.98Below flood stage15,100
50Jun 16, 19888.48−4.02Below flood stage17,100

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: 17.38 ft here, major flooding

September 21, 2012: 17.16 ft here, major flooding

August 19, 2006: 15.38 ft here, moderate flooding

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 TalkeetnaAK13.016.55 ft, Oct 11, 19862
Talkeetna this gaugeAK12.517.38 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
Alaska Railroad Bridge 227.1 at Talkeetna13.016.55 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 TRTA2, 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.