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Cahaba River at Marion Junction

Highest listed crest 43.80 ftFlood stage 36.0 ft31 crests since 1939

The Cahaba River at Marion Junction crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1939 to 2019. The highest, 43.80 ft on February 24, 1961, was major flooding, 7.80 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cahaba River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
43.80 ft
February 24, 1961; 92,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
36.0 ft
Major flooding from 43.0 ft
Crests at major
1
35th of 89 gauges in Alabama
Most recent flood crest
January 1, 2019
36.59 ft, minor flooding
Location
Dallas County
Near Selma (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, Cahaba River at Marion Junction
Action stage15.014Jun 1, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)36.011Jan 1, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage40.05Feb 18, 1990Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage43.01Feb 24, 1961Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1939 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cahaba River at Marion Junction, 1939 to 2019 2530354045ft Flood stage 36.0 ftMajor 43.0 ft Aug 16, 1939: 42.95 ft, moderate flooding; 83,400 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1942: 41.50 ft, moderate flooding; 77,600 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1947: 39.60 ft, minor flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1948: 32.00 ft, action stage; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 41.70 ft, moderate flooding; 80,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1961: 43.80 ft, major flooding; 92,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1969: 25.73 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1972: 36.60 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1976: 39.53 ft, minor flooding; 56,500 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 38.66 ft, minor flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1977: 38.86 ft, minor flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1979: 39.04 ft, minor flooding; 48,800 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1979: 41.13 ft, moderate flooding; 73,900 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1983: 36.37 ft, minor flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1990: 41.21 ft, moderate flooding; 76,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1990: 36.60 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1998: 36.01 ft, minor flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1999: 33.12 ft, action stage; 26,700 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2003: 31.53 ft, action stage; 24,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2009: 33.20 ft, action stageSep 24, 2009: 34.66 ft, action stage; 29,800 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 34.67 ft, action stage; 29,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2013: 30.89 ft, action stage; 19,000 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2014: 36.81 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2015: 30.06 ft, action stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 31.76 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2016: 30.04 ft, action stageJun 27, 2017: 35.43 ft, action stage; 25,800 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2018: 30.27 ft, action stageJun 1, 2018: 32.35 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2019: 36.59 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 43.80 ft, Feb 24, 1961 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cahaba River at Marion Junction 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 6 6 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Cahaba River at Marion Junction
1Feb 24, 196143.80+7.80Major92,000
2Aug 16, 193942.95+6.95Moderate83,400
3Mar 31, 195141.70+5.70Moderate80,400
4Dec 30, 194241.50+5.50Moderate77,600
5Feb 18, 199041.21+5.21Moderate76,000
6Apr 15, 197941.13+5.13Moderate73,900
7Jan 22, 194739.60+3.60Minor54,000
8Mar 19, 197639.53+3.53Minor56,500
9Mar 6, 197939.04+3.04Minor48,800
10Apr 1, 197738.86+2.86Minor46,600
11Apr 2, 197638.66+2.66Minor44,500
12Apr 11, 201436.81+0.81Minor29,600
13Jan 14, 197236.60+0.60Minor34,000
14Mar 19, 199036.60+0.60Minor34,000
15Jan 1, 201936.59+0.59Minor28,400
16Apr 11, 198336.37+0.37Minor30,500
17Jan 11, 199836.01+0.01Minor32,500
18Jun 27, 201735.43−0.57Action25,800
19Mar 12, 201134.67−1.33Action29,800
20Sep 24, 200934.66−1.34Action29,800
21Mar 30, 200933.20−2.80Action—
22Feb 3, 199933.12−2.88Action26,700
23Jun 1, 201832.35−3.65Action20,800
24Feb 13, 194832.00−4.00Action25,000
25Dec 29, 201531.76−4.24Action20,000
26May 22, 200331.53−4.47Action24,300
27Feb 15, 201330.89−5.11Action19,000
28Apr 18, 201830.27−5.73Action—
29Jan 7, 201530.06−5.94Action18,100
30Feb 6, 201630.04−5.96Action—
31May 22, 196925.73−10.27Action17,400

The worst floods along the Cahaba River

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

February 24, 1961: 43.80 ft here, major flooding

  • SuttleAL · Feb 25, 1961 · 44.00 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • CentrevilleAL · Feb 23, 1961 · 35.35 ft · Minor

March 31, 1951: 41.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SuttleAL · Mar 30, 1951 · 42.80 ft · Minor
  • CentrevilleAL · Mar 29, 1951 · 34.80 ft · Minor

December 30, 1942: 41.50 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Cahaba River

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

Flood gauges on the Cahaba River
Cahaba HeightsAL14.028.86 ft, Apr 13, 19793
West BloctonAL13.019.97 ft, Apr 13, 19790
CentrevilleAL23.036.70 ft, Mar 28, 19020
SuttleAL32.044.00 ft, Feb 25, 19610
Marion Junction this gaugeAL36.043.80 ft, Feb 24, 19611

Other gauges in Dallas County

Flood gauges in Dallas County
Selma45.057.97 ft, Mar 1, 196111

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MNJA1, 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.