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Ocheyedan River near Spencer

Highest listed crest 17.20 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft49 crests since 1978

The Ocheyedan River near Spencer crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1978 to 2025. The highest, 17.20 ft on June 22, 2024, was major flooding, 9.20 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ocheyedan River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.20 ft
June 22, 2024; 24,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
11
25th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2024
17.20 ft, major flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Spencer (3.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ocheyedan River near Spencer
Action stage7.01Apr 22, 1992The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.014May 27, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.510May 1, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.511Jun 22, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1978 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ocheyedan River near Spencer, 1978 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 10.5 ft Jul 23, 1978: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1979: 9.54 ft, moderate flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1979: 8.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1982: 9.68 ft, moderate flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1983: 10.49 ft, moderate flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1984: 10.15 ft, moderate flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1985: 9.60 ft, moderate flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1986: 9.73 ft, moderate flooding; 4,710 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1987: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,230 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1988: 6.27 ft, below flood stage; 679 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1989: 6.15 ft, below flood stage; 903 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1990: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 999 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1991: 8.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,900 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 7.82 ft, action stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1993: 11.28 ft, major flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1994: 10.70 ft, major flooding; 4,490 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1995: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,220 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1996: 8.09 ft, minor flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1997: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,280 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1998: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 685 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1999: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,920 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2000: 4.61 ft, below flood stage; 524 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2001: 11.23 ft, major flooding; 6,040 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2002: 5.86 ft, below flood stage; 860 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2003: 5.32 ft, below flood stage; 707 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2004: 9.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2005: 9.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,570 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2006: 9.72 ft, moderate flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 11.36 ft, major flooding; 5,150 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2008: 8.79 ft, minor flooding; 1,990 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 9.63 ft, moderate flooding; 1,810 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2010: 11.72 ft, major flooding; 6,880 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2011: 11.51 ft, major flooding; 4,710 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2012: 8.89 ft, minor flooding; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 9.86 ft, moderate flooding; 3,130 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2014: 11.48 ft, major flooding; 5,240 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2015: 4.23 ft, below flood stage; 430 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2016: 9.73 ft, moderate flooding; 2,990 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2017: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 12.70 ft, major floodingSep 21, 2018: 12.77 ft, major flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 12.73 ft, major flooding; 7,130 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2020: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,920 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2021: 3.05 ft, below flood stage; 203 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2022: 6.46 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2023: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2024: 17.20 ft, major flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2025: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 848 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.20 ft, Jun 22, 2024 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ocheyedan River near Spencer 1970s: 3 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 7 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 12.89 ft on Jun 18, 1953.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Ocheyedan River near Spencer
1Jun 22, 202417.20+9.20Major24,500
2Sep 21, 201812.77+4.77Major8,200
3Mar 15, 201912.73+4.73Major7,130
4Jun 21, 201812.70+4.70Major—
5Aug 11, 201011.72+3.72Major6,880
6Jul 15, 201111.51+3.51Major4,710
7Jun 19, 201411.48+3.48Major5,240
8Mar 14, 200711.36+3.36Major5,150
9Jul 1, 199311.28+3.28Major6,170
10Jun 15, 200111.23+3.23Major6,040
11Jun 24, 199410.70+2.70Major4,490
12Jun 21, 198310.49+2.49Moderate6,450
13Jun 22, 198410.15+2.15Moderate5,200
14May 27, 20139.86+1.86Moderate3,130
15Mar 19, 19869.73+1.73Moderate4,710
16May 1, 20169.73+1.73Moderate2,990
17May 2, 20069.72+1.72Moderate2,910
18Jul 10, 19829.68+1.68Moderate4,520
19Feb 12, 20099.63+1.63Moderate1,810
20Apr 24, 19859.60+1.60Moderate3,500
21May 11, 19799.54+1.54Moderate3,960
22Sep 23, 20049.47+1.47Minor2,560
23May 16, 20059.47+1.47Minor2,570
24Mar 22, 19979.45+1.45Minor3,280
25Sep 18, 19879.31+1.31Minor3,230
26Jul 23, 19789.25+1.25Minor3,200
27May 22, 20179.15+1.15Minor2,260
28May 14, 19959.13+1.13Minor2,220
29Nov 2, 19798.93+0.93Minor2,300
30May 30, 20128.89+0.89Minor1,860
31Jun 13, 20088.79+0.79Minor1,990
32Jun 6, 19998.68+0.68Minor1,920
33May 27, 20208.57+0.57Minor1,920
34Apr 14, 19918.30+0.30Minor1,900
35Mar 30, 19968.09+0.09Minor1,510
36Apr 22, 19927.82−0.18Action1,600
37Jun 15, 19816.75−1.25Below flood stage1,180
38Apr 3, 20236.70−1.30Below flood stage1,060
39May 31, 20226.46−1.54Below flood stage1,040
40Jun 18, 19906.44−1.56Below flood stage999
41Mar 2, 19886.27−1.73Below flood stage679
42Mar 24, 19896.15−1.85Below flood stage903
43Jul 31, 20256.06−1.94Below flood stage848
44Jun 12, 20025.86−2.14Below flood stage860
45Jun 26, 20035.32−2.68Below flood stage707
46Apr 27, 19985.17−2.83Below flood stage685
47Jun 15, 20004.61−3.39Below flood stage524
48Mar 11, 20154.23−3.77Below flood stage430
49Apr 9, 20213.05−4.95Below flood stage203

The worst floods along the Ocheyedan River

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

June 22, 2024: 17.20 ft here, major flooding

  • EverlyIA · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,368.68 ft · Moderate · its highest

March 15, 2019: 12.73 ft here, major flooding

  • EverlyIA · Mar 14, 2019 · 1,366.88 ft · Moderate

June 21, 2018: 12.70 ft here, major flooding

  • EverlyIA · Jun 22, 2018 · 1,366.47 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Ocheyedan River

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

Flood gauges on the Ocheyedan River
EverlyIA1,364.01,368.68 ft, Jun 22, 20240
Spencer this gaugeIA8.017.20 ft, Jun 22, 202411

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Spencer10.014.45 ft, Jul 15, 20110
Spencer10.022.20 ft, Jun 22, 202412
Spencer / Highway 181,322.01,328.17 ft, Jun 22, 20241
Everly1,364.01,368.68 ft, Jun 22, 20240
Cornell90.094.30 ft, Jun 27, 20100

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPOI4, 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.