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Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 194.90 ftFlood stage 189.0 ft28 crests since 1916

The Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam crested above flood stage 22 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2018. The highest, 194.90 ft on April 5, 1977, was minor flooding, 5.90 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Black Warrior River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
194.90 ft
April 5, 1977
Flood stage
189.0 ft
Major flooding from 198.0 ft
Crests at major
0
22 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
December 25, 2015
189.53 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tuscaloosa County
Alabama

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam
Action stage188.06Dec 29, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)189.022Dec 25, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage196.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage198.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1916 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam, 1916 to 2018 188190192194196198ft Flood stage 189.0 ftMajor 198.0 ft Jul 19, 1916: 194.00 ft, minor floodingNov 15, 1929: 192.80 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 1930: 190.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1946: 192.50 ft, minor floodingNov 29, 1948: 192.40 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 1949: 193.30 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1951: 194.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1961: 193.60 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 1973: 190.30 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1974: 191.00 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1975: 190.00 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1977: 191.99 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 1977: 194.90 ft, minor floodingOct 26, 1977: 191.12 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1979: 193.10 ft, minor flooding; 143,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1981: 189.30 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 1983: 193.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 1990: 189.82 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1996: 188.52 ft, action stageApr 3, 2000: 189.80 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 2002: 188.30 ft, action stageNov 24, 2004: 188.29 ft, action stageJan 7, 2009: 189.67 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 2010: 188.13 ft, action stageSep 5, 2011: 189.29 ft, minor floodingDec 25, 2015: 189.53 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 2017: 188.09 ft, action stageDec 29, 2018: 188.06 ft, action stage Highest, 194.90 ft, Apr 5, 1977 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam
1Apr 5, 1977194.90+5.90Minor—
2Jul 19, 1916194.00+5.00Minor—
3Mar 30, 1951194.00+5.00Minor—
4Feb 23, 1961193.60+4.60Minor—
5Dec 3, 1983193.50+4.50Minor—
6Jan 6, 1949193.30+4.30Minor—
7Apr 13, 1979193.10+4.10Minor143,000
8Nov 15, 1929192.80+3.80Minor—
9Feb 10, 1946192.50+3.50Minor—
10Nov 29, 1948192.40+3.40Minor—
11Mar 13, 1977191.99+2.99Minor—
12Oct 26, 1977191.12+2.12Minor—
13Apr 13, 1974191.00+2.00Minor—
14Dec 26, 1973190.30+1.30Minor—
15May 20, 1930190.00+1.00Minor—
16Mar 14, 1975190.00+1.00Minor—
17Feb 16, 1990189.82+0.82Minor—
18Apr 3, 2000189.80+0.80Minor—
19Jan 7, 2009189.67+0.67Minor—
20Dec 25, 2015189.53+0.53Minor—
21Mar 30, 1981189.30+0.30Minor—
22Sep 5, 2011189.29+0.29Minor—
23Jan 27, 1996188.52−0.48Action—
24Jan 25, 2002188.30−0.70Action—
25Nov 24, 2004188.29−0.71Action—
26May 4, 2010188.13−0.87Action—
27Jul 4, 2017188.09−0.91Action—
28Dec 29, 2018188.06−0.94Action—

The worst floods along the Black Warrior River

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

April 5, 1977: 194.90 ft here, minor flooding

March 30, 1951: 194.00 ft here, minor flooding

February 23, 1961: 193.60 ft here, minor flooding

  • Oliver Lock and DamAL · Feb 22, 1961 · 149.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Selden DamAL · Feb 25, 1961 · 109.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • CordovaAL · Feb 23, 1961 · 27.50 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Black Warrior River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Black Warrior River
CordovaAL22.041.50 ft, Mar 14, 19092
Bankhead Lock and Dam this gaugeAL189.0194.90 ft, Apr 5, 19770
Holt Lock and DamAL140.0156.87 ft, Dec 3, 19830
Oliver Lock and DamAL129.0149.00 ft, Feb 22, 19614
Selden DamAL90.0109.90 ft, Feb 25, 19612

Other gauges in Tuscaloosa County

Flood gauges in Tuscaloosa County
Holt Lock and Dam140.0156.87 ft, Dec 3, 19830
Oliver Lock and Dam129.0149.00 ft, Feb 22, 19614

Tuscaloosa County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alabama

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLDA1, 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.