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South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir

Highest listed crest 13.40 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft21 crests since 1957

The South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1957 to 2019. The highest, 13.40 ft on April 29, 1970, was major flooding, 6.40 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the South Platte River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.40 ft
April 29, 1970; 4,640 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
1
6th of 100 gauges in Colorado
Most recent flood crest
June 17, 2015
8.27 ft, minor flooding
Location
Jefferson County
Colorado
Identifiers
NWS DKRC2
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 below Cheesman Reservoir
Action stage5.04May 25, 1987The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.03Jun 17, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.01Apr 29, 1970Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 1957 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir, 1957 to 2019 2468101214ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Aug 18, 1957: 4.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1958: 4.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1965: 3.57 ft, below flood stage; 867 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1969: 7.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,570 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1970: 13.40 ft, major flooding; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1973: 5.03 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1975: 3.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1979: 3.51 ft, below flood stage; 855 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1980: 5.19 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1983: 4.79 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1984: 5.96 ft, action stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1985: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1987: 5.12 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1988: 4.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1995: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 2,310 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1999: 4.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,198 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2008: 3.65 ft, below flood stage; 926 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2009: 3.52 ft, below flood stage; 900 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2014: 3.68 ft, below flood stage; 935 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2015: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,230 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2019: 3.89 ft, below flood stage; 985 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.40 ft, Apr 29, 1970 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 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, South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir
1Apr 29, 197013.40+6.40Major4,640
2Jul 2, 19958.60+1.60Minor2,310
3Jun 17, 20158.27+1.27Minor2,230
4Jun 19, 19697.14+0.14Minor2,570
5Aug 22, 19845.96−1.04Action1,760
6Jun 15, 19805.19−1.81Action1,350
7May 25, 19875.12−1.88Action1,460
8May 27, 19735.03−1.97Action1,290
9Jul 1, 19884.95−2.05Below flood stage1,460
10Jun 29, 19834.79−2.21Below flood stage1,290
11Jun 23, 19994.74−2.26Below flood stage1,198
12Jun 12, 19854.31−2.69Below flood stage1,120
13May 26, 19584.27−2.73Below flood stage1,110
14Aug 18, 19574.20−2.80Below flood stage1,120
15Jul 6, 20193.89−3.11Below flood stage985
16Jul 18, 19753.86−3.14Below flood stage1,020
17Jun 10, 20143.68−3.32Below flood stage935
18Apr 29, 20083.65−3.35Below flood stage926
19Apr 26, 19653.57−3.43Below flood stage867
20Jun 3, 20093.52−3.48Below flood stage900
21Jul 6, 19793.51−3.49Below flood stage855

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 29, 1970: 13.40 ft here, major flooding

June 17, 2015: 8.27 ft here, minor flooding

  • Fort MorganCO · Jun 15, 2015 · 17.91 ft · Minor
  • DenverCO · Jun 24, 2015 · 11.51 ft · Minor
  • HendersonCO · Jun 12, 2015 · 11.40 ft · Minor
  • RoscoeNE · Jun 19, 2015 · 10.48 ft · Minor
  • South PlatteCO · Jun 14, 2015 · 7.63 ft · Minor

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
WatertonCO5.55.68 ft, Apr 23, 19420
Cheesman Reservoir this gaugeCO7.013.40 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 Jefferson County

Flood gauges in Jefferson County
Evergreen5.37.10 ft, Aug 24, 19920
Morrison9.011.50 ft, Jul 7, 19332
Plainview5.07.17 ft, Sep 13, 20131
South Platte7.011.20 ft, Jul 12, 19961
Golden3.53.60 ft, May 18, 19950

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DKRC2, 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.