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Tanana River at Big Delta

Highest listed crest 23.57 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft41 crests since 1949

The Tanana River at Big Delta crested above flood stage 4 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1949 to 2025. The highest, 23.57 ft on July 29, 1949, was minor flooding, 0.57 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.57 ft
July 29, 1949; 62,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
0
4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 29, 2023
23.16 ft, minor flooding
Identifiers
NWS BGDA2
USGS 15478000; 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, Tanana River at Big Delta
Action stage22.06Jul 16, 1988The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.04Aug 29, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1949 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tanana River at Big Delta, 1949 to 2025 182022242628ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Jul 29, 1949: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 62,800 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1950: 21.98 ft, below flood stage; 49,300 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1951: 21.55 ft, below flood stage; 46,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1952: 23.24 ft, minor flooding; 57,200 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1954: 22.86 ft, action stage; 50,000 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1955: 22.85 ft, action stageJul 18, 1956: 22.42 ft, action stage; 48,700 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1957: 21.99 ft, below flood stage; 44,000 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1982: 21.32 ft, below flood stageJul 12, 1983: 22.60 ft, action stageJun 16, 1984: 21.55 ft, below flood stageJul 3, 1985: 21.40 ft, below flood stageJul 21, 1986: 22.15 ft, action stageJul 16, 1987: 21.65 ft, below flood stageJul 16, 1988: 22.80 ft, action stageJun 26, 1989: 21.71 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 1990: 21.24 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 1991: 20.79 ft, below flood stageJul 22, 1992: 21.46 ft, below flood stageJul 24, 1993: 21.96 ft, below flood stageAug 11, 1994: 21.30 ft, below flood stageJul 8, 1995: 20.62 ft, below flood stageJul 27, 1996: 19.69 ft, below flood stageAug 14, 1997: 23.31 ft, minor floodingAug 24, 1998: 19.10 ft, below flood stageJul 12, 2000: 20.60 ft, below flood stageAug 1, 2001: 21.10 ft, below flood stageJul 18, 2003: 21.90 ft, below flood stageJul 1, 2004: 20.60 ft, below flood stageJul 19, 2005: 20.88 ft, below flood stageJun 23, 2006: 20.88 ft, below flood stageJul 9, 2007: 20.65 ft, below flood stageJul 29, 2008: 20.85 ft, below flood stageJul 10, 2009: 20.77 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 2010: 20.85 ft, below flood stageAug 3, 2011: 20.95 ft, below flood stageJul 4, 2012: 21.56 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 2013: 20.88 ft, below flood stageAug 29, 2023: 23.16 ft, minor floodingAug 10, 2024: 21.87 ft, below flood stageAug 30, 2025: 21.72 ft, below flood stage Highest, 23.57 ft, Jul 29, 1949 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tanana River at Big Delta 1940s: 1 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Tanana River at Big Delta
1Jul 29, 194923.57+0.57Minor62,800
2Aug 14, 199723.31+0.31Minor—
3Jul 31, 195223.24+0.24Minor57,200
4Aug 29, 202323.16+0.16Minor—
5Aug 3, 195422.86−0.14Action50,000
6Jul 27, 195522.85−0.15Action—
7Jul 16, 198822.80−0.20Action—
8Jul 12, 198322.60−0.40Action—
9Jul 18, 195622.42−0.58Action48,700
10Jul 21, 198622.15−0.85Action—
11Jul 16, 195721.99−1.01Below flood stage44,000
12Aug 2, 195021.98−1.02Below flood stage49,300
13Jul 24, 199321.96−1.04Below flood stage—
14Jul 18, 200321.90−1.10Below flood stage—
15Aug 10, 202421.87−1.13Below flood stage—
16Aug 30, 202521.72−1.28Below flood stage—
17Jun 26, 198921.71−1.29Below flood stage—
18Jul 16, 198721.65−1.35Below flood stage—
19Jul 4, 201221.56−1.44Below flood stage—
20Jul 13, 195121.55−1.45Below flood stage46,000
21Jun 16, 198421.55−1.45Below flood stage—
22Jul 22, 199221.46−1.54Below flood stage—
23Jul 3, 198521.40−1.60Below flood stage—
24Jul 14, 198221.32−1.68Below flood stage—
25Aug 11, 199421.30−1.70Below flood stage—
26Jul 7, 199021.24−1.76Below flood stage—
27Aug 1, 200121.10−1.90Below flood stage—
28Aug 3, 201120.95−2.05Below flood stage—
29Jul 19, 200520.88−2.12Below flood stage—
30Jun 23, 200620.88−2.12Below flood stage—
31Jun 28, 201320.88−2.12Below flood stage—
32Jul 29, 200820.85−2.15Below flood stage—
33Jul 5, 201020.85−2.15Below flood stage—
34Jun 26, 199120.79−2.21Below flood stage—
35Jul 10, 200920.77−2.23Below flood stage—
36Jul 9, 200720.65−2.35Below flood stage—
37Jul 8, 199520.62−2.38Below flood stage—
38Jul 12, 200020.60−2.40Below flood stage—
39Jul 1, 200420.60−2.40Below flood stage—
40Jul 27, 199619.69−3.31Below flood stage—
41Aug 24, 199819.10−3.90Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Tanana River

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

August 14, 1997: 23.31 ft here, minor flooding

  • FairbanksAK · Aug 14, 1997 · 26.25 ft · Moderate

August 29, 2023: 23.16 ft here, minor flooding

  • FairbanksAK · Aug 31, 2023 · 25.50 ft · Minor
  • NenanaAK · Aug 31, 2023 · 12.63 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Tanana River

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

Flood gauges on the Tanana River
Big Delta this gaugeAK23.023.57 ft, Jul 29, 19490
FairbanksAK24.527.80 ft, Aug 16, 19671
Manley Hot SpringsAK15.019.55 ft, May 8, 20220
NenanaAK12.518.50 ft, Aug 18, 19671

Other gauges in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area

Flood gauges in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Northway Road Bridge12.513.85 ft, Jul 29, 20010
Steele Creek90.096.20 ft, Jun 10, 19640
Big Delta19.521.14 ft, Jun 23, 20200
Northway Village26.526.60 ft, Jun 30, 20100
Taylor Highway near Eagle70.071.30 ft, Jul 11, 20100
Eagle34.055.71 ft, May 6, 20090

Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alaska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BGDA2, 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.