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Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell

Highest listed crest 19.70 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft10 crests since 1959

The Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell crested above flood stage 2 times among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2010. The highest, 19.70 ft on September 5, 1970, was moderate flooding, 2.70 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.70 ft
September 5, 1970; 24,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
January 22, 2010
17.14 ft, minor flooding
Location
Maricopa County
Near Fountain Hills (12.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell
Action stage13.54Jul 31, 2007The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.01Jan 22, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.01Sep 5, 1970Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

10 crests from 1959 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell, 1959 to 2010 10121416182022ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Dec 25, 1959: 15.00 ft, action stage; 15,800 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1967: 11.12 ft, below flood stage; 9,880 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1970: 19.70 ft, moderate flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1978: 16.00 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1980: 11.42 ft, below flood stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1993: 14.06 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2005: 11.93 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2007: 14.86 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2008: 12.29 ft, below flood stage; 9,020 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2010: 17.14 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.70 ft, Sep 5, 1970 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 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, Sycamore Creek near Ft McDowell
1Sep 5, 197019.70+2.70Moderate24,200
2Jan 22, 201017.14+0.14Minor15,500
3Mar 2, 197816.00−1.00Action17,900
4Dec 25, 195915.00−2.00Action15,800
5Jul 31, 200714.86−2.14Action12,300
6Jan 8, 199314.06−2.94Action14,100
7Jan 27, 200812.29−4.71Below flood stage9,020
8Feb 12, 200511.93−5.07Below flood stage11,000
9Feb 15, 198011.42−5.58Below flood stage10,400
10Dec 19, 196711.12−5.88Below flood stage9,880

Other gauges in Maricopa County

Flood gauges in Maricopa County
Cave Creek9.016.49 ft, Jan 21, 20100
Painted Rock Lake661.0667.05 ft, Feb 27, 19930
Morristown17.019.00 ft, Sep 5, 19701
Wickenburg5.09.90 ft, Oct 27, 20000

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SYCA3, 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.