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Big Bear Creek at Ladora

Highest listed crest 26.61 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft50 crests since 1981

The Big Bear Creek at Ladora crested above flood stage 40 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1981 to 2020. The highest, 26.61 ft on July 1, 2014, was minor flooding, 6.61 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.61 ft
July 1, 2014; 11,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
40 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2020
20.58 ft, minor flooding
Location
Iowa County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Bear Creek at Ladora
Action stage19.06May 13, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.040Jun 22, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1981 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Bear Creek at Ladora, 1981 to 2020 1015202530ft Flood stage 20.0 ft Jun 24, 1981: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1982: 23.91 ft, minor flooding; 5,450 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1982: 23.23 ft, minor flooding; 4,770 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1983: 23.76 ft, minor flooding; 5,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1984: 23.24 ft, minor flooding; 4,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1985: 22.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1986: 23.89 ft, minor floodingAug 15, 1986: 23.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,190 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1987: 20.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1988: 22.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1989: 17.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1990: 23.65 ft, minor flooding; 5,640 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1991: 23.58 ft, minor flooding; 5,570 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1992: 23.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,120 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 23.05 ft, minor flooding; 5,040 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1993: 23.36 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1993: 24.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,780 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1993: 24.69 ft, minor flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1994: 22.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,300 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 19.11 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1995: 19.74 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1996: 22.68 ft, minor flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1997: 23.27 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1998: 21.89 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1999: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 3,590 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2000: 19.97 ft, action stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2001: 20.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,330 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2002: 19.71 ft, action stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2002: 19.45 ft, action stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 19.37 ft, action stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2006: 15.18 ft, below flood stage; 934 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2007: 21.88 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 24.91 ft, minor flooding; 6,720 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2009: 23.49 ft, minor flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2010: 23.69 ft, minor flooding; 5,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 23.54 ft, minor flooding; 5,530 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2012: 13.99 ft, below flood stage; 541 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 23.69 ft, minor flooding; 6,498 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 25.94 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2014: 26.61 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2015: 23.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,640 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2015: 23.99 ft, minor flooding; 5,840 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2015: 23.64 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2015: 24.78 ft, minor flooding; 7,190 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2017: 20.09 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 2017: 18.95 ft, below flood stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2018: 24.89 ft, minor flooding; 6,330 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 25.04 ft, minor flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2020: 20.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,850 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.61 ft, Jul 1, 2014 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Bear Creek at Ladora 1980s: 10 1990s: 12 12 2000s: 5 2010s: 12 2020s: 1 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 41 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 13.10 ft on Jan 5, 1946; 10.90 ft on Jun 5, 1947; 11.35 ft on Jun 30, 1947; 11.48 ft on Feb 28, 1948; 9.86 ft on Feb 24, 1949; 8.74 ft on Mar 4, 1949; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Big Bear Creek at Ladora
1Jul 1, 201426.61+6.61Minor11,200
2May 27, 201325.94+5.94Minor10,500
3Mar 14, 201925.04+5.04Minor6,140
4Jun 12, 200824.91+4.91Minor6,720
5Sep 3, 201824.89+4.89Minor6,330
6Dec 14, 201524.78+4.78Minor7,190
7Aug 30, 199324.69+4.69Minor6,610
8Aug 18, 199324.20+4.20Minor5,780
9Jun 25, 201523.99+3.99Minor5,840
10Jun 15, 198223.91+3.91Minor5,450
11Feb 5, 198623.89+3.89Minor—
12Jul 3, 198323.76+3.76Minor5,260
13Jun 23, 201023.69+3.69Minor5,700
14Apr 18, 201323.69+3.69Minor6,498
15Jun 17, 199023.65+3.65Minor5,640
16Aug 10, 201523.64+3.64Minor5,300
17Jul 26, 199223.60+3.60Minor5,120
18Apr 29, 199123.58+3.58Minor5,570
19Jun 10, 201123.54+3.54Minor5,530
20Mar 8, 200923.49+3.49Minor5,430
21Jul 5, 199323.36+3.36Minor5,300
22Feb 18, 199723.27+3.27Minor—
23Feb 12, 198423.24+3.24Minor4,780
24Jul 19, 198223.23+3.23Minor4,770
25Jun 12, 201523.17+3.17Minor4,640
26Aug 15, 198623.12+3.12Minor5,190
27Mar 4, 199323.05+3.05Minor5,040
28Feb 21, 198522.80+2.80Minor4,360
29May 24, 199622.68+2.68Minor4,700
30Jan 30, 198822.43+2.43Minor2,050
31Feb 19, 199422.13+2.13Minor2,300
32Mar 31, 199821.89+1.89Minor4,040
33Mar 10, 200721.88+1.88Minor3,860
34Jun 24, 198121.50+1.50Minor3,390
35Jun 9, 199921.50+1.50Minor3,590
36Mar 12, 200120.62+0.62Minor3,330
37Jun 22, 202020.58+0.58Minor2,850
38Aug 26, 198720.52+0.52Minor3,150
39May 25, 200420.20+0.20Minor3,100
40Jan 16, 201720.09+0.09Minor—
41Jul 4, 200019.97−0.03Action2,980
42Apr 27, 199519.74−0.26Action2,870
43Jun 13, 200219.71−0.29Action2,590
44Oct 2, 200219.45−0.55Action2,470
45May 13, 200519.37−0.63Action2,340
46Mar 4, 199419.11−0.89Action2,550
47Jan 20, 201718.95−1.05Below flood stage2,170
48Jan 29, 198917.62−2.38Below flood stage1,400
49Mar 9, 200615.18−4.82Below flood stage934
50Apr 15, 201213.99−6.01Below flood stage541

Other gauges in Iowa County

Flood gauges in Iowa County
Parnell24.030.06 ft, Jul 1, 20140
Belle Plaine15.019.86 ft, Jun 13, 20080
Marengo15.021.38 ft, Jun 12, 200810

Iowa County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LADI4, 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.