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Verde River below Paulden

Highest listed crest 14.25 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft13 crests since 1965

The Verde River below Paulden crested above flood stage 3 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2023. The highest, 14.25 ft on February 20, 1993, was minor flooding, 1.25 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Verde River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.25 ft
February 20, 1993; 23,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 22, 2023
13.20 ft, minor flooding
Location
Yavapai County
Near Chino Valley (11.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Verde River below Paulden
Flood stage (minor)13.03Mar 22, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1965 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Verde River below Paulden, 1965 to 2023 81012141618ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Dec 30, 1965: 8.48 ft, below flood stage; 6,130 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1978: 9.66 ft, below flood stage; 8,080 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1978: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1980: 12.72 ft, below flood stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1983: 12.89 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1991: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 6,320 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1993: 14.25 ft, minor flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 2004: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 12,350 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2005: 12.08 ft, below flood stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2010: 10.80 ft, below flood stage; 8,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2019: 8.15 ft, below flood stage; 3,920 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2021: 9.38 ft, below flood stage; 5,670 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2023: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 16,003 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.25 ft, Feb 20, 1993 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Verde River below Paulden 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Verde River below Paulden
1Feb 20, 199314.25+1.25Minor23,200
2Mar 22, 202313.20+0.20Minor16,003
3Sep 20, 200413.08+0.08Minor12,350
4Sep 24, 198312.89−0.11Below flood stage15,600
5Feb 20, 198012.72−0.28Below flood stage15,700
6Jan 12, 200512.08−0.92Below flood stage12,300
7Jan 22, 201010.80−2.20Below flood stage8,910
8Mar 1, 19789.66−3.34Below flood stage8,080
9Jul 24, 20219.38−3.62Below flood stage5,670
10Mar 2, 19919.07−3.93Below flood stage6,320
11Dec 19, 19788.78−4.22Below flood stage5,700
12Dec 30, 19658.48−4.52Below flood stage6,130
13Feb 15, 20198.15−4.85Below flood stage3,920

The worst floods along the Verde River

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

February 20, 1993: 14.25 ft here, minor flooding

  • ClarkdaleAZ · Feb 20, 1993 · 26.39 ft · Major · its highest

March 22, 2023: 13.20 ft here, minor flooding

  • Camp VerdeAZ · Mar 22, 2023 · 19.67 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • ClarkdaleAZ · Mar 15, 2023 · 16.22 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Verde River

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

Flood gauges on the Verde River
Paulden this gaugeAZ13.014.25 ft, Feb 20, 19930
ClarkdaleAZ12.026.39 ft, Feb 20, 19931
Camp VerdeAZ17.019.67 ft, Mar 22, 20230

Other gauges in Yavapai County

Flood gauges in Yavapai County
Rock Springs16.028.05 ft, Jan 21, 20105
Rimrock12.014.35 ft, Sep 5, 19700
Prescott11.011.86 ft, Jan 21, 20100
Prescott11.013.02 ft, Jan 21, 20100
Page Springs near Cornville8.019.15 ft, Feb 20, 19931
Clarkdale12.026.39 ft, Feb 20, 19931
Camp Verde17.019.67 ft, Mar 22, 20230
Rimrock9.517.21 ft, Jan 8, 19938

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VDPA3, 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.