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Willow Creek near Willow

Highest listed crest 9.01 ftFlood stage 5.9 ft35 crests since 1979

The Willow Creek near Willow crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2020. The highest, 9.01 ft on October 11, 1986, was major flooding, 3.11 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
9.01 ft
October 11, 1986; 12,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.9 ft
Major flooding from 7.3 ft
Crests at major
5
1st of 110 gauges in Alaska
Most recent flood crest
September 21, 2012
8.27 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, Willow Creek near Willow
Action stage5.07Sep 29, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.94Aug 12, 1985Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.80—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.35Sep 21, 2012Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1979 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Willow Creek near Willow, 1979 to 2020 246810ft Flood stage 5.9 ftMajor 7.3 ft May 28, 1979: 7.82 ft, major flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1980: 8.80 ft, major flooding; 4,450 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1981: 5.97 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1982: 6.34 ft, minor flooding; 4,140 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1983: 5.02 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1984: 6.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1985: 6.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,080 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1986: 5.67 ft, action stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1986: 9.01 ft, major flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1988: 4.46 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1989: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1990: 5.87 ft, action stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1990: 5.87 ft, action stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1991: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1992: 4.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1993: 5.74 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2001: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2002: 4.65 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2002: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2004: 4.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2004: 5.65 ft, action stage; 3,630 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2006: 7.38 ft, major flooding; 8,290 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2008: 4.14 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2009: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2010: 3.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2011: 4.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2012: 8.27 ft, major flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2013: 4.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2013: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2015: 5.64 ft, action stage; 4,930 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2016: 4.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2017: 3.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2018: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 3,220 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2019: 4.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2020: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 2,590 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.01 ft, Oct 11, 1986 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Willow Creek near Willow 1970s: 1 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 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 near Willow
1Oct 11, 19869.01+3.11Major12,000
2Jul 28, 19808.80+2.90Major4,450
3Sep 21, 20128.27+2.37Major10,200
4May 28, 19797.82+1.92Major3,000
5Aug 19, 20067.38+1.48Major8,290
6Aug 12, 19856.40+0.50Minor4,080
7Sep 16, 19826.34+0.44Minor4,140
8Aug 25, 19846.22+0.32Minor3,720
9Aug 15, 19815.97+0.07Minor3,470
10Aug 13, 19905.87−0.03Action4,260
11Sep 13, 19905.87−0.03Action4,260
12Sep 21, 19935.74−0.16Action3,780
13Jul 20, 19865.67−0.23Action2,980
14Oct 1, 20045.65−0.25Action3,630
15Sep 29, 20155.64−0.26Action4,930
16Sep 30, 19835.02−0.88Action2,040
17Jun 21, 20014.99−0.91Below flood stage2,580
18Jun 16, 20184.99−0.91Below flood stage3,220
19Aug 27, 19894.88−1.02Below flood stage2,710
20Aug 9, 20114.84−1.06Below flood stage2,380
21Sep 13, 20164.75−1.15Below flood stage2,790
22Aug 13, 20024.65−1.25Below flood stage2,120
23Sep 11, 20134.60−1.30Below flood stage2,420
24Oct 7, 20024.52−1.38Below flood stage1,960
25Sep 1, 20204.50−1.40Below flood stage2,590
26Jun 17, 20044.47−1.43Below flood stage1,890
27Jun 6, 19884.46−1.44Below flood stage2,030
28Jun 9, 20194.43−1.47Below flood stage2,530
29May 25, 19914.40−1.50Below flood stage1,940
30Jun 2, 19924.38−1.52Below flood stage1,970
31Oct 28, 20134.17−1.73Below flood stage2,010
32Jul 23, 20084.14−1.76Below flood stage1,540
33May 26, 20094.09−1.81Below flood stage1,480
34Aug 29, 20103.95−1.95Below flood stage1,360
35Jul 9, 20173.48−2.42Below flood stage1,200

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: 9.01 ft here, major flooding

July 28, 1980: 8.80 ft here, major flooding

September 21, 2012: 8.27 ft here, major flooding

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 WillowAK10.013.86 ft, Oct 11, 19863
Willow this gaugeAK5.99.01 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
Parks Highway near Willow10.013.86 ft, Oct 11, 19863
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 WLWA2, 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.