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Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 149.00 ftFlood stage 129.0 ft37 crests since 1946

The Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2019. The highest, 149.00 ft on February 22, 1961, was major flooding, 20.00 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Black Warrior River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
149.00 ft
February 22, 1961
Flood stage
129.0 ft
Major flooding from 146.0 ft
Crests at major
4
21st of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
February 22, 2019
131.54 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tuscaloosa County
Near Northport (3.3 mi), Tuscaloosa (4.3 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 Oliver Lock and Dam
Action stage122.04Jun 24, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)129.015Feb 22, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage138.013Dec 28, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage146.04Apr 13, 1979Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1946 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam, 1946 to 2019 80100120140160ft Flood stage 129.0 ftMajor 146.0 ft Feb 11, 1946: 145.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 6, 1949: 146.70 ft, major floodingMar 29, 1951: 148.30 ft, major floodingFeb 22, 1961: 149.00 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1970: 144.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 26, 1973: 140.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 13, 1979: 148.00 ft, major floodingApr 14, 1980: 140.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 1983: 138.99 ft, moderate floodingDec 4, 1983: 143.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 16, 1990: 143.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 17, 1990: 135.35 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1994: 132.00 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1995: 127.90 ft, action stageJan 27, 1996: 138.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1996: 133.40 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 1998: 136.50 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 1999: 130.70 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2000: 132.50 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2000: 142.49 ft, moderate flooding; 186,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2001: 131.71 ft, minor floodingDec 14, 2001: 131.84 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 2002: 128.55 ft, action stageMay 19, 2003: 129.16 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 2004: 140.08 ft, moderate flooding; 194,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 140.68 ft, moderate flooding; 203,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2010: 130.63 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 2011: 134.17 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 2011: 142.87 ft, moderate flooding; 236,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2012: 122.93 ft, action stageJan 16, 2013: 132.54 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2014: 135.84 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 2015: 135.25 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 2016: 98.64 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 2017: 126.41 ft, action stageDec 28, 2018: 138.78 ft, moderate flooding; 175,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2019: 131.54 ft, minor flooding Highest, 149.00 ft, Feb 22, 1961 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 7 2000s: 7 2010s: 8 8 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 Oliver Lock and Dam
1Feb 22, 1961149.00+20.00Major—
2Mar 29, 1951148.30+19.30Major—
3Apr 13, 1979148.00+19.00Major—
4Jan 6, 1949146.70+17.70Major—
5Feb 11, 1946145.80+16.80Moderate—
6Mar 20, 1970144.20+15.20Moderate—
7Dec 4, 1983143.10+14.10Moderate—
8Feb 16, 1990143.10+14.10Moderate—
9Sep 6, 2011142.87+13.87Moderate236,000
10Apr 4, 2000142.49+13.49Moderate186,000
11Dec 26, 1973140.80+11.80Moderate—
12Jan 7, 2009140.68+11.68Moderate203,000
13Apr 14, 1980140.10+11.10Moderate—
14Feb 7, 2004140.08+11.08Moderate194,000
15May 20, 1983138.99+9.99Moderate—
16Dec 28, 2018138.78+9.78Moderate175,000
17Jan 27, 1996138.60+9.60Moderate—
18Jan 8, 1998136.50+7.50Minor—
19Apr 8, 2014135.84+6.84Minor—
20Mar 17, 1990135.35+6.35Minor—
21Dec 27, 2015135.25+6.25Minor—
22Mar 10, 2011134.17+5.17Minor—
23Mar 8, 1996133.40+4.40Minor—
24Jan 16, 2013132.54+3.54Minor—
25Mar 31, 2000132.50+3.50Minor—
26Mar 29, 1994132.00+3.00Minor—
27Dec 14, 2001131.84+2.84Minor—
28Apr 5, 2001131.71+2.71Minor—
29Feb 22, 2019131.54+2.54Minor—
30Jan 31, 1999130.70+1.70Minor—
31Mar 12, 2010130.63+1.63Minor—
32May 19, 2003129.16+0.16Minor—
33Jan 27, 2002128.55−0.45Action—
34Mar 9, 1995127.90−1.10Action—
35Jun 24, 2017126.41−2.59Action—
36Jan 27, 2012122.93−6.07Action—
37Dec 3, 201698.64−30.36Below flood stage—

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.

February 22, 1961: 149.00 ft here, major flooding

March 29, 1951: 148.30 ft here, major flooding

April 13, 1979: 148.00 ft here, major 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
CordovaAL22.041.50 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 Dam this gaugeAL129.0149.00 ft, Feb 22, 19614
Selden DamAL90.0109.90 ft, Feb 25, 19612

Other gauges in Tuscaloosa County

Flood gauges in Tuscaloosa County
Bankhead Lock and Dam189.0194.90 ft, Apr 5, 19770
Holt Lock and Dam140.0156.87 ft, Dec 3, 19830

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TODA1, 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.