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Black Warrior River at Cordova

Highest listed crest 41.50 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft28 crests since 1909

The Black Warrior River at Cordova crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1909 to 2019. The highest, 41.50 ft on March 14, 1909, was major flooding, 19.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
41.50 ft
March 14, 1909; 60,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
2
27th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
December 27, 2015
23.83 ft, minor flooding
Location
Walker County
Near Jasper (8.6 mi)

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 Cordova
Action stage18.08Dec 28, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.03Dec 27, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.03Jan 7, 2009Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.02Mar 30, 1951Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1909 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black Warrior River at Cordova, 1909 to 2019 1020304050ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Mar 14, 1909: 41.50 ft, major flooding; 60,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1951: 39.80 ft, major floodingFeb 23, 1961: 27.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1973: 18.15 ft, action stageDec 26, 1973: 22.80 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1979: 23.79 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1982: 17.85 ft, below flood stageMay 4, 1984: 16.79 ft, below flood stageFeb 28, 1987: 17.44 ft, below flood stageFeb 28, 1989: 17.58 ft, below flood stageFeb 17, 1990: 24.27 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1991: 18.06 ft, action stageMar 29, 1994: 19.61 ft, action stageJan 27, 1996: 17.65 ft, below flood stageMar 8, 1996: 16.80 ft, below flood stageApr 4, 2001: 20.95 ft, action stageMay 7, 2003: 19.11 ft, action stageJan 7, 2009: 24.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 2010: 17.72 ft, below flood stage; 28,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2011: 18.74 ft, action stage; 32,100 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2012: 14.91 ft, below flood stage; 19,100 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 19.26 ft, action stage; 33,300 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2014: 17.32 ft, below flood stage; 26,500 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2015: 23.83 ft, minor flooding; 49,700 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2017: 16.16 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2018: 15.60 ft, below flood stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2018: 19.88 ft, action stage; 33,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2019: 17.90 ft, below flood stage; 27,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 41.50 ft, Mar 14, 1909 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black Warrior River at Cordova 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Cordova
1Mar 14, 190941.50+19.50Major60,400
2Mar 30, 195139.80+17.80Major—
3Feb 23, 196127.50+5.50Moderate—
4Jan 7, 200924.70+2.70Moderate—
5Feb 17, 199024.27+2.27Moderate—
6Dec 27, 201523.83+1.83Minor49,700
7Apr 13, 197923.79+1.79Minor—
8Dec 26, 197322.80+0.80Minor—
9Apr 4, 200120.95−1.05Action—
10Dec 28, 201819.88−2.12Action33,500
11Mar 29, 199419.61−2.39Action—
12Jan 16, 201319.26−2.74Action33,300
13May 7, 200319.11−2.89Action—
14Mar 10, 201118.74−3.26Action32,100
15Mar 31, 197318.15−3.85Action—
16Feb 20, 199118.06−3.94Action—
17Feb 22, 201917.90−4.10Below flood stage27,700
18Jan 5, 198217.85−4.15Below flood stage—
19May 3, 201017.72−4.28Below flood stage28,300
20Jan 27, 199617.65−4.35Below flood stage—
21Feb 28, 198917.58−4.42Below flood stage—
22Feb 28, 198717.44−4.56Below flood stage—
23Apr 7, 201417.32−4.68Below flood stage26,500
24Mar 8, 199616.80−5.20Below flood stage—
25May 4, 198416.79−5.21Below flood stage—
26Jun 30, 201716.16−5.84Below flood stage22,600
27Apr 23, 201815.60−6.40Below flood stage20,200
28Jan 12, 201214.91−7.09Below flood stage19,100

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.

March 30, 1951: 39.80 ft here, major flooding

February 23, 1961: 27.50 ft here, moderate flooding

January 7, 2009: 24.70 ft here, moderate flooding

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
Cordova this gaugeAL22.041.50 ft, Mar 14, 19092
Bankhead Lock and DamAL189.0194.90 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 Walker County

Flood gauges in Walker County
Manchester8.013.10 ft, Feb 23, 19610
Oakman15.020.82 ft, Apr 7, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRDA1, 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.