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Little Colorado River at Woodruff

Highest listed crest 22.90 ftFlood stage 20.5 ft10 crests since 1951

The Little Colorado River at Woodruff crested above flood stage 7 times among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2010. The highest, 22.90 ft on December 19, 1978, was minor flooding, 2.40 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.90 ft
December 19, 1978; 9,320 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.5 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 2, 2010
21.06 ft, minor flooding
Location
Navajo County
Arizona

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Colorado River at Woodruff
Flood stage (minor)20.57Aug 2, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

10 crests from 1951 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Colorado River at Woodruff, 1951 to 2010 1520253035ft Flood stage 20.5 ftMajor 35.0 ft Aug 28, 1951: 19.75 ft, below flood stage; 8,290 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1952: 21.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1971: 22.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,220 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1978: 22.90 ft, minor flooding; 9,320 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1993: 22.53 ft, minor flooding; 8,960 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1993: 20.58 ft, minor flooding; 7,360 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2006: 20.73 ft, minor flooding; 4,290 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2007: 19.29 ft, below flood stage; 3,830 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2008: 19.11 ft, below flood stage; 3,770 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2010: 21.06 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.90 ft, Dec 19, 1978 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Colorado River at Woodruff 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Little Colorado River at Woodruff
1Dec 19, 197822.90+2.40Minor9,320
2Jan 8, 199322.53+2.03Minor8,960
3Sep 30, 197122.50+2.00Minor7,220
4Jan 19, 195221.90+1.40Minor10,200
5Aug 2, 201021.06+0.56Minor4,390
6Aug 1, 200620.73+0.23Minor4,290
7Feb 20, 199320.58+0.08Minor7,360
8Aug 28, 195119.75−0.75Below flood stage8,290
9Jul 29, 200719.29−1.21Below flood stage3,830
10Jan 28, 200819.11−1.39Below flood stage3,770

Gauges on the Little Colorado River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Colorado River
St JohnsAZ12.514.75 ft, Jul 15, 20150
Woodruff this gaugeAZ20.522.90 ft, Dec 19, 19780
WinslowAZ19.022.12 ft, Mar 23, 20230

Other gauges in Navajo County

Flood gauges in Navajo County
Winslow19.022.12 ft, Mar 23, 20230

Navajo County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arizona

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WDRA3, 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.