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Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow

Highest listed crest 13.86 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft43 crests since 1975

The Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1975 to 2021. The highest, 13.86 ft on October 11, 1986, was major flooding, 3.86 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Willow Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.86 ft
October 11, 1986
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.5 ft
Crests at major
3
5th of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
September 29, 2015
11.10 ft, minor flooding
Identifiers
NWS WILA2
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, Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow
Action stage9.012Aug 28, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.011Sep 29, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.53Sep 21, 2012Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1975 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow, 1975 to 2021 68101214ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 12.5 ft Sep 11, 1975: 11.08 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1976: 8.99 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 1977: 8.97 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 1979: 8.89 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 1980: 11.02 ft, minor floodingAug 16, 1981: 9.90 ft, action stageJul 25, 1982: 10.15 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 1982: 10.45 ft, minor floodingOct 11, 1983: 9.77 ft, action stageAug 25, 1984: 9.83 ft, action stageAug 12, 1985: 10.10 ft, minor floodingOct 11, 1986: 13.86 ft, major floodingSep 8, 1987: 8.64 ft, below flood stageJun 6, 1988: 8.11 ft, below flood stageAug 27, 1989: 9.71 ft, action stageSep 13, 1990: 10.51 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1992: 8.96 ft, below flood stageSep 16, 1993: 10.05 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 1994: 8.59 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 1995: 8.52 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1996: 7.84 ft, below flood stageSep 1, 1997: 9.71 ft, action stageJun 8, 1998: 9.80 ft, action stageAug 13, 1999: 9.50 ft, action stageJun 29, 2000: 9.58 ft, action stageJun 21, 2001: 8.94 ft, below flood stageAug 13, 2002: 8.83 ft, below flood stageOct 1, 2004: 10.80 ft, minor floodingSep 10, 2005: 10.16 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2005: 10.55 ft, minor floodingAug 19, 2006: 12.96 ft, major floodingSep 9, 2007: 8.08 ft, below flood stageJul 24, 2008: 8.62 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2009: 8.30 ft, below flood stageJul 21, 2010: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,046 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2011: 9.55 ft, action stageSep 21, 2012: 13.35 ft, major floodingOct 6, 2012: 9.99 ft, action stageJun 26, 2014: 8.88 ft, below flood stageSep 29, 2015: 11.10 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 2016: 9.45 ft, action stageJul 9, 2017: 7.77 ft, below flood stageAug 28, 2021: 9.92 ft, action stage Highest, 13.86 ft, Oct 11, 1986 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow 1970s: 1 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 2 2000s: 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 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, Willow Creek at Parks Highway near Willow
1Oct 11, 198613.86+3.86Major—
2Sep 21, 201213.35+3.35Major—
3Aug 19, 200612.96+2.96Major—
4Sep 29, 201511.10+1.10Minor—
5Sep 11, 197511.08+1.08Minor—
6Jul 28, 198011.02+1.02Minor—
7Oct 1, 200410.80+0.80Minor—
8Sep 24, 200510.55+0.55Minor—
9Sep 13, 199010.51+0.51Minor—
10Sep 16, 198210.45+0.45Minor—
11Sep 10, 200510.16+0.16Minor—
12Jul 25, 198210.15+0.15Minor—
13Aug 12, 198510.10+0.10Minor—
14Sep 16, 199310.05+0.05Minor—
15Oct 6, 20129.99−0.01Action—
16Aug 28, 20219.92−0.08Action—
17Aug 16, 19819.90−0.10Action—
18Aug 25, 19849.83−0.17Action—
19Jun 8, 19989.80−0.20Action—
20Oct 11, 19839.77−0.23Action—
21Aug 27, 19899.71−0.29Action—
22Sep 1, 19979.71−0.29Action—
23Jun 29, 20009.58−0.42Action—
24Aug 9, 20119.55−0.45Action—
25Aug 13, 19999.50−0.50Action—
26Sep 13, 20169.45−0.55Action—
27Jun 12, 19768.99−1.01Below flood stage—
28Jun 15, 19778.97−1.03Below flood stage—
29May 23, 19928.96−1.04Below flood stage—
30Jun 21, 20018.94−1.06Below flood stage—
31May 29, 19798.89−1.11Below flood stage—
32Jun 26, 20148.88−1.12Below flood stage—
33Aug 13, 20028.83−1.17Below flood stage—
34Sep 8, 19878.64−1.36Below flood stage—
35Jul 24, 20088.62−1.38Below flood stage—
36Jun 16, 19948.59−1.41Below flood stage—
37Jun 24, 19958.52−1.48Below flood stage—
38May 28, 20098.30−1.70Below flood stage—
39Jul 21, 20108.16−1.84Below flood stage1,046
40Jun 6, 19888.11−1.89Below flood stage—
41Sep 9, 20078.08−1.92Below flood stage—
42Jun 3, 19967.84−2.16Below flood stage—
43Jul 9, 20177.77−2.23Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Willow Creek

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

October 11, 1986: 13.86 ft here, major flooding

  • WillowAK · Oct 11, 1986 · 9.01 ft · Major · its highest

September 21, 2012: 13.35 ft here, major flooding

  • WillowAK · Sep 21, 2012 · 8.27 ft · Major

August 19, 2006: 12.96 ft here, major flooding

  • WillowAK · Aug 19, 2006 · 7.38 ft · Major

Gauges on the Willow Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Willow Creek
Parks Highway near Willow this gaugeAK10.013.86 ft, Oct 11, 19863
WillowAK5.99.01 ft, Oct 11, 19865

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
Talkeetna12.517.38 ft, Oct 11, 19862
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 WILA2, 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.