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South Platte River near Kersey

Highest listed crest 15.09 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft80 crests since 1936

The South Platte River near Kersey crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 80 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2021. The highest, 15.09 ft on September 14, 2013, was major flooding, 5.09 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the South Platte River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 7 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.09 ft
September 14, 2013
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.5 ft
Crests at major
1
6th of 100 gauges in Colorado
Most recent flood crest
May 11, 2015
11.54 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Weld County
Near Evans (10.7 mi), Greeley (10.9 mi)
Identifiers
NWS KERC2
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 near Kersey
Action stage8.026May 19, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.08Jun 14, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.53May 11, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.51Sep 14, 2013Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

80 crests from 1936 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Platte River near Kersey, 1936 to 2021 46810121416ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 13.5 ft Aug 5, 1936: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1937: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1938: 9.73 ft, action stage; 18,500 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1939: 6.59 ft, below flood stage; 4,160 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1940: 4.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1941: 5.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,640 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1942: 9.50 ft, action stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1943: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1944: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1945: 6.13 ft, below flood stage; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1946: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1947: 9.62 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1948: 6.28 ft, below flood stage; 4,620 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1949: 9.66 ft, action stage; 17,800 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1950: 4.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1951: 8.55 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1952: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 5,470 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1953: 4.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1955: 5.63 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1956: 5.21 ft, below flood stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1957: 10.26 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1958: 8.70 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1959: 6.07 ft, below flood stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1960: 5.71 ft, below flood stage; 3,800 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1961: 8.35 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1962: 5.63 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1963: 7.11 ft, below flood stage; 7,430 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1964: 6.07 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1965: 10.75 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1967: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 6,630 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1968: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1969: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1970: 9.46 ft, action stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1971: 7.28 ft, below flood stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1972: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 7,090 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1973: 11.73 ft, moderate flooding; 31,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1974: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1975: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1976: 5.93 ft, below flood stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1977: 6.10 ft, below flood stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1978: 6.79 ft, below flood stage; 5,790 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1979: 9.34 ft, action stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1980: 10.31 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1981: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1982: 8.93 ft, action stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1983: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1984: 8.53 ft, action stage; 9,550 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1986: 8.93 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1987: 8.37 ft, action stage; 8,540 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1988: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 7,120 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1989: 8.08 ft, action stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1990: 6.99 ft, below flood stage; 6,030 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1991: 8.41 ft, action stage; 9,670 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1992: 8.49 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1993: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 5,340 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1995: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1996: 8.53 ft, action stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1997: 10.40 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1998: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1999: 11.50 ft, moderate flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2000: 6.92 ft, below flood stage; 4,380 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2001: 8.00 ft, action stage; 5,820 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2002: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2003: 7.14 ft, below flood stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2004: 8.30 ft, action stage; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2005: 9.49 ft, action stage; 9,510 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2008: 8.48 ft, action stage; 6,950 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2009: 8.88 ft, action stage; 8,040 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2010: 10.39 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2011: 9.58 ft, action stage; 9,520 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2012: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2013: 15.09 ft, major floodingJun 2, 2014: 9.94 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2015: 11.54 ft, moderate flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2016: 8.47 ft, action stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2017: 9.37 ft, action stage; 9,540 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2018: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 3,320 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2019: 7.21 ft, below flood stage; 5,830 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2020: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2021: 6.94 ft, below flood stage; 5,070 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.09 ft, Sep 14, 2013 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Platte River near Kersey 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 2020s: 0 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 80 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Platte River near Kersey
1Sep 14, 201315.09+5.09Major—
2May 8, 197311.73+1.73Moderate31,500
3May 11, 201511.54+1.54Moderate17,200
4May 1, 199911.50+1.50Moderate20,700
5May 31, 199511.00+1.00Minor22,900
6Jun 18, 196510.75+0.75Minor23,500
7May 8, 196910.70+0.70Minor21,800
8Jun 14, 199710.40+0.40Minor17,500
9Jun 14, 201010.39+0.39Minor11,900
10May 2, 198010.31+0.31Minor18,300
11May 10, 195710.26+0.26Minor14,300
12Jun 14, 198310.000.00Minor17,600
13Jun 2, 20149.94−0.06Action10,600
14Sep 4, 19389.73−0.27Action18,500
15Jun 15, 19499.66−0.34Action17,800
16Jun 24, 19479.62−0.38Action14,400
17Jul 15, 20119.58−0.42Action9,520
18Apr 25, 19429.50−0.50Action19,200
19Jun 5, 20059.49−0.51Action9,510
20Jun 13, 19709.46−0.54Action13,200
21May 19, 20179.37−0.63Action9,540
22Jun 10, 19799.34−0.66Action14,600
23Jun 25, 19828.93−1.07Action12,500
24Jun 11, 19868.93−1.07Action11,200
25Jun 3, 20098.88−1.12Action8,040
26May 26, 19588.70−1.30Action11,200
27Aug 5, 19518.55−1.45Action10,300
28May 17, 19848.53−1.47Action9,550
29May 27, 19968.53−1.47Action10,500
30Aug 25, 19928.49−1.51Action10,000
31Aug 17, 20088.48−1.52Action6,950
32Jun 14, 20168.47−1.53Action7,580
33Jun 3, 19918.41−1.59Action9,670
34May 25, 19878.37−1.63Action8,540
35Jun 5, 19618.35−1.65Action11,200
36Aug 20, 20048.30−1.70Action6,850
37Jun 4, 19898.08−1.92Action7,230
38May 6, 20018.00−2.00Action5,820
39May 21, 19887.76−2.24Below flood stage7,120
40Jun 9, 19747.68−2.32Below flood stage8,120
41Jun 19, 19937.49−2.51Below flood stage5,340
42May 9, 19987.39−2.61Below flood stage5,680
43Apr 27, 19717.28−2.72Below flood stage7,580
44Jun 23, 20197.21−2.79Below flood stage5,830
45Jun 7, 19727.19−2.81Below flood stage7,090
46Jun 2, 20037.14−2.86Below flood stage4,690
47Jun 17, 19637.11−2.89Below flood stage7,430
48May 30, 19906.99−3.01Below flood stage6,030
49May 31, 20216.94−3.06Below flood stage5,070
50Jul 18, 20006.92−3.08Below flood stage4,380

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.

September 14, 2013: 15.09 ft here, major flooding

  • Fort MorganCO · Sep 15, 2013 · 25.73 ft · Major · its highest
  • WeldonaCO · Sep 14, 2013 · 19.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • AtwoodCO · Sep 15, 2013 · 15.52 ft · Major · its highest
  • BalzacCO · Sep 15, 2013 · 13.71 ft · Major · its highest
  • RoscoeNE · Sep 21, 2013 · 12.21 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • CrookCO · Sep 17, 2013 · 10.13 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • HendersonCO · Sep 12, 2013 · 11.65 ft · Minor
  • JulesburgCO · Sep 18, 2013 · 10.74 ft · Minor · its highest

May 8, 1973: 11.73 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HendersonCO · May 6, 1973 · 17.67 ft · Major · its highest
  • WeldonaCO · May 8, 1973 · 11.68 ft · Moderate
  • DenverCO · May 7, 1973 · 12.35 ft · Minor

May 11, 2015: 11.54 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RoscoeNE · May 16, 2015 · 11.09 ft · Moderate
  • WeldonaCO · May 12, 2015 · 10.87 ft · Minor
  • BalzacCO · May 13, 2015 · 10.39 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 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
Kersey this gaugeCO10.015.09 ft, Sep 14, 20131
Lake GeorgeCO7.08.34 ft, Apr 28, 19700
WeldonaCO10.019.20 ft, Sep 14, 20131

Other gauges in Weld County

Flood gauges in Weld County
La Salle8.09.91 ft, May 1, 19800
Greeley8.58.73 ft, Jun 3, 20140
Greeley8.09.25 ft, Sep 15, 20130
Platteville9.010.03 ft, May 10, 20150

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KERC2, 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.