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South Platte River near Lake George

Highest listed crest 8.34 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft19 crests since 1942

The South Platte River near Lake George crested above flood stage 1 time among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2019. The highest, 8.34 ft on April 28, 1970, was minor flooding, 1.34 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
8.34 ft
April 28, 1970; 3,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 28, 1970
8.34 ft, minor flooding
Location
Park County
Colorado
Identifiers
NWS SELC2
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 Lake George
Action stage5.04Jun 25, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.01Apr 28, 1970Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

19 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 near Lake George, 1942 to 2019 456789ft Flood stage 7.0 ft Aug 1, 1942: 4.14 ft, below flood stage; 740 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1945: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 954 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1947: 4.48 ft, below flood stage; 837 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1948: 4.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1949: 4.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1951: 4.33 ft, below flood stage; 796 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1952: 4.45 ft, below flood stage; 830 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1957: 5.22 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1982: 4.12 ft, below flood stage; 916 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1984: 4.00 ft, below flood stage; 863 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1999: 4.57 ft, below flood stage; 657 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2002: 4.28 ft, below flood stage; 601 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2006: 4.12 ft, below flood stage; 561 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2007: 5.07 ft, action stage; 776 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2008: 5.35 ft, action stage; 846 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2011: 4.01 ft, below flood stage; 544 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2015: 5.37 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2019: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 735 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.34 ft, Apr 28, 1970 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Platte River near Lake George 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 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 near Lake George
1Apr 28, 19708.34+1.34Minor3,000
2Jun 25, 20155.37−1.63Action1,290
3May 2, 20085.35−1.65Action846
4Jul 22, 19575.22−1.78Action1,240
5Sep 21, 20075.07−1.93Action776
6Aug 2, 19454.88−2.12Below flood stage954
7Jun 28, 19994.57−2.43Below flood stage657
8Jul 6, 20194.50−2.50Below flood stage735
9Sep 1, 19474.48−2.52Below flood stage837
10Aug 28, 19524.45−2.55Below flood stage830
11Apr 20, 19484.44−2.56Below flood stage1,260
12Jun 19, 19494.42−2.58Below flood stage1,290
13Jul 30, 19514.33−2.67Below flood stage796
14Jul 27, 20024.28−2.72Below flood stage601
15Aug 1, 19424.14−2.86Below flood stage740
16Aug 23, 19824.12−2.88Below flood stage916
17Sep 26, 20064.12−2.88Below flood stage561
18Jul 9, 20114.01−2.99Below flood stage544
19Aug 17, 19844.00−3.00Below flood stage863

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 28, 1970: 8.34 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
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
KerseyCO10.015.09 ft, Sep 14, 20131
Lake George this gaugeCO7.08.34 ft, Apr 28, 19700
WeldonaCO10.019.20 ft, Sep 14, 20131

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SELC2, 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.