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Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam

Highest listed crest 9.04 ftFlood stage 3.0 ft23 crests since 1982

The Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2006. The highest, 9.04 ft on July 31, 2006, was major flooding, 6.04 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.04 ft
July 31, 2006; 15,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
3.0 ft
Major flooding from 7.0 ft
Crests at major
3
5th of 47 gauges in Arizona
Most recent flood crest
July 31, 2006
9.04 ft, major flooding
Location
Pima County
Near Tucson (11.7 mi), Oro Valley (12.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam
Action stage2.52Aug 13, 1987The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)3.011Aug 23, 2003Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage5.51Oct 1, 1983Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.03Jul 31, 2006Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1982 to 2006. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam, 1982 to 2006 0246810ft Flood stage 3.0 ftMajor 7.0 ft Aug 13, 1982: 3.65 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1983: 3.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1983: 5.66 ft, moderate flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1984: 3.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1986: 2.65 ft, action stage; 910 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1987: 2.60 ft, action stage; 866 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1988: 1.90 ft, below flood stage; 350 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1989: 1.90 ft, below flood stage; 350 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1990: 3.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,290 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1991: 4.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1992: 3.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1993: 7.60 ft, major flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 1994: 2.22 ft, below flood stage; 564 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1995: 4.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,530 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1996: 4.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1997: 1.85 ft, below flood stage; 321 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1998: 3.18 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1999: 8.25 ft, major flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1999: 1.60 ft, below flood stage; 186 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2000: 3.11 ft, minor flooding; 1,370 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2002: 2.03 ft, below flood stage; 433 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2003: 4.43 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2006: 9.04 ft, major flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.04 ft, Jul 31, 2006 19851990199520002005

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam 1980s: 4 1990s: 8 8 2000s: 3 1980s1990s2000s
  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.
  3. 51 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 5.45 ft on Jul 15, 1932; 4.73 ft on Sep 10, 1933; 4.59 ft on Sep 22, 1934; 4.85 ft on Feb 6, 1935; 4.69 ft on Jan 29, 1936; 6.51 ft on Feb 7, 1937; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Sabino Creek near Sabino Dam
1Jul 31, 20069.04+6.04Major15,700
2Jul 15, 19998.25+5.25Major15,400
3Jan 8, 19937.60+4.60Major12,900
4Oct 1, 19835.66+2.66Moderate6,500
5Feb 15, 19954.64+1.64Minor3,530
6Aug 23, 20034.43+1.43Minor3,140
7Jul 27, 19964.28+1.28Minor2,900
8Mar 1, 19914.09+1.09Minor2,600
9Dec 28, 19843.92+0.92Minor2,350
10Feb 13, 19923.66+0.66Minor2,000
11Aug 13, 19823.65+0.65Minor2,000
12Jul 22, 19983.18+0.18Minor1,450
13Oct 22, 20003.11+0.11Minor1,370
14Feb 3, 19833.08+0.08Minor1,340
15Jul 20, 19903.04+0.04Minor1,290
16Feb 16, 19862.65−0.35Action910
17Aug 13, 19872.60−0.40Action866
18Sep 3, 19942.22−0.78Below flood stage564
19Aug 5, 20022.03−0.97Below flood stage433
20Aug 20, 19881.90−1.10Below flood stage350
21Aug 7, 19891.90−1.10Below flood stage350
22Aug 8, 19971.85−1.15Below flood stage321
23Oct 3, 19991.60−1.40Below flood stage186

Other gauges in Pima County

Flood gauges in Pima County
Dodge Boulevard11.514.84 ft, Jan 8, 19932
Redington12.514.93 ft, Jul 22, 20035
Congress Street12.022.20 ft, Oct 2, 19831
Green Valley14.016.34 ft, Oct 2, 19831
Trico Road14.017.20 ft, Jul 31, 20061

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SBCA3, 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.