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South Platte River at Waterton

Highest listed crest 5.68 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft12 crests since 1942

The South Platte River at Waterton crested above flood stage 1 time among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2019. The highest, 5.68 ft on April 23, 1942, was minor flooding, 0.18 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the South Platte River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
5.68 ft
April 23, 1942; 5,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 23, 1942
5.68 ft, minor flooding
Location
Douglas County
Near Littleton (8.0 mi), Castle Pines (12.0 mi), Englewood (12.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS WATC2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Platte River at Waterton
Action stage4.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.51Apr 23, 1942Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1942 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Platte River at Waterton, 1942 to 2019 23456ft Flood stage 5.5 ft Apr 23, 1942: 5.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,700 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1990: 2.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,024 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1995: 4.11 ft, below flood stage; 3,285 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1997: 2.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1998: 2.82 ft, below flood stage; 1,366 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1999: 3.46 ft, below flood stage; 2,396 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2000: 2.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2005: 2.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2007: 2.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,630 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2010: 2.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2015: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 3,850 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2019: 2.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per second Highest, 5.68 ft, Apr 23, 1942 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Platte River at Waterton 1940s: 1 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, South Platte River at Waterton
1Apr 23, 19425.68+0.18Minor5,700
2Jun 14, 20154.25−1.25Below flood stage3,850
3Jun 20, 19954.11−1.39Below flood stage3,285
4Jun 3, 19993.46−2.04Below flood stage2,396
5May 21, 20072.86−2.64Below flood stage1,630
6Apr 28, 20052.85−2.65Below flood stage1,580
7Jul 31, 19982.82−2.68Below flood stage1,366
8Jun 15, 20002.71−2.79Below flood stage1,390
9Jun 7, 19972.69−2.81Below flood stage1,270
10Oct 14, 19902.58−2.92Below flood stage1,024
11Jun 16, 20102.53−2.97Below flood stage1,280
12Jul 6, 20192.53−2.97Below flood stage1,270

The worst floods along the South Platte River

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

April 23, 1942: 5.68 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the South Platte River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the South Platte River
AtwoodCO11.515.52 ft, Sep 15, 20131
DenverCO11.018.66 ft, Jun 17, 19651
Fort MorganCO17.525.73 ft, Sep 15, 20131
HendersonCO11.017.67 ft, May 6, 19732
North PlatteNE13.014.54 ft, Sep 23, 20130
RoscoeNE9.012.21 ft, Sep 21, 20130
South PlatteCO7.011.20 ft, Jul 12, 19961
Waterton this gaugeCO5.55.68 ft, Apr 23, 19420
Cheesman ReservoirCO7.013.40 ft, Apr 29, 19701
BalzacCO10.013.71 ft, Sep 15, 20131
CrookCO9.810.13 ft, Sep 17, 20130
JulesburgCO10.010.74 ft, Sep 18, 20130
KerseyCO10.015.09 ft, Sep 14, 20131
Lake GeorgeCO7.08.34 ft, Apr 28, 19700
WeldonaCO10.019.20 ft, Sep 14, 20131

Other gauges in Douglas County

Flood gauges in Douglas County
Franktown9.511.13 ft, Jul 2, 20060
Parker8.512.29 ft, Jun 6, 20121
Castle Rock10.010.52 ft, Jun 12, 20150
Sedalia8.010.84 ft, Jun 12, 20150

Douglas County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Colorado

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WATC2, 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.