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West Fork Cedar River at Finchford

Highest listed crest 20.82 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft80 crests since 1929

The West Fork Cedar River at Finchford crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 80 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2025. The highest, 20.82 ft on June 10, 2008, was major flooding, 3.82 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.82 ft
June 10, 2008; 25,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
1
93rd of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 10, 2008
20.82 ft, major flooding
Location
Black Hawk County
Near Waverly (7.4 mi), Cedar Falls (8.9 mi), Waterloo (13.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Fork Cedar River at Finchford
Action stage12.050Aug 3, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.01Jun 27, 1951Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.01Jul 29, 1990Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.01Jun 10, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

80 crests from 1929 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, 1929 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Mar 1, 1929: 14.00 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1946: 11.51 ft, below flood stage; 5,220 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1947: 13.70 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 12.87 ft, action stage; 9,580 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1949: 12.25 ft, action stage; 6,330 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1950: 14.80 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1951: 17.28 ft, minor flooding; 31,900 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 11.91 ft, below flood stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1953: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1954: 14.90 ft, action stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1954: 6.32 ft, below flood stage; 850 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1956: 5.61 ft, below flood stage; 642 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1957: 6.82 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1958: 5.95 ft, below flood stage; 712 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1959: 12.07 ft, action stage; 4,740 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 14.00 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1961: 15.40 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 14.98 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1963: 11.79 ft, below flood stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1964: 7.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1965: 15.91 ft, action stage; 16,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1966: 12.20 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 13.44 ft, action stage; 7,560 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1968: 14.51 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1969: 16.50 ft, action stage; 17,800 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1970: 10.33 ft, below flood stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1971: 12.69 ft, action stage; 6,140 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1972: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1973: 13.17 ft, action stage; 6,090 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1974: 14.05 ft, action stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1975: 13.03 ft, action stage; 6,990 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1976: 10.88 ft, below flood stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1977: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 387 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1978: 13.57 ft, action stage; 7,860 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1979: 14.29 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1980: 10.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1981: 11.04 ft, below flood stage; 3,350 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1982: 13.56 ft, action stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1983: 13.65 ft, action stage; 8,730 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1984: 13.77 ft, action stage; 9,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1985: 11.15 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 1986: 13.36 ft, action stage; 6,950 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1986: 10.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1988: 8.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1989: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1990: 18.45 ft, moderate flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1991: 15.52 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1992: 11.54 ft, below flood stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 16.73 ft, action stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1994: 13.63 ft, action stage; 7,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1995: 10.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1996: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1997: 12.51 ft, action stage; 5,590 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1998: 12.93 ft, action stage; 6,250 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1999: 16.09 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2000: 12.23 ft, action stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2001: 12.40 ft, action stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2002: 10.24 ft, below flood stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2003: 11.67 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 15.14 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2005: 14.42 ft, action stage; 9,220 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2006: 11.18 ft, below flood stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2007: 13.76 ft, action stage; 8,840 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2008: 20.82 ft, major flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2009: 13.40 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 14.16 ft, action stage; 8,550 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2010: 14.97 ft, action stageFeb 23, 2011: 13.04 ft, action stage; 5,030 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2012: 8.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 15.00 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2014: 15.60 ft, action stage; 9,720 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 11.18 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2016: 16.58 ft, action stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2016: 13.05 ft, action stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2018: 15.81 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 16.14 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2020: 14.35 ft, action stage; 7,170 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2023: 13.23 ft, action stage; 5,280 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2024: 13.25 ft, action stage; 5,310 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2025: 12.20 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.82 ft, Jun 10, 2008 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Fork Cedar River at Finchford 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, West Fork Cedar River at Finchford
1Jun 10, 200820.82+3.82Major25,900
2Jul 29, 199018.45+1.45Moderate23,300
3Jun 27, 195117.28+0.28Minor31,900
4Apr 1, 199316.73−0.27Action17,600
5Sep 26, 201616.58−0.42Action12,100
6Jul 10, 196916.50−0.50Action17,800
7Mar 17, 201916.14−0.86Action11,000
8May 17, 199916.09−0.91Action15,200
9Apr 7, 196515.91−1.09Action16,700
10Sep 23, 201815.81−1.19Action11,200
11Jun 22, 201415.60−1.40Action9,720
12May 20, 199115.52−1.48Action11,900
13Mar 27, 196115.40−1.60Action17,400
14May 25, 200415.14−1.86Action12,000
15May 30, 201315.00−2.00Action10,000
16Mar 30, 196214.98−2.02Action14,000
17Jun 26, 201014.97−2.03Action—
18Jun 23, 195414.90−2.10Action14,200
19Mar 8, 195014.80−2.20Action11,000
20Jul 19, 196814.51−2.49Action10,600
21Jun 29, 200514.42−2.58Action9,220
22Jun 25, 202014.35−2.65Action7,170
23Mar 21, 197914.29−2.71Action10,600
24Mar 15, 201014.16−2.84Action8,550
25Jun 11, 197414.05−2.95Action10,200
26Mar 1, 192914.00−3.00Action12,800
27Mar 30, 196014.00−3.00Action10,600
28Jun 25, 198413.77−3.23Action9,300
29Mar 16, 200713.76−3.24Action8,840
30Jun 13, 194713.70−3.30Action11,600
31Sep 22, 198313.65−3.35Action8,730
32Mar 7, 199413.63−3.37Action7,500
33Jun 20, 197813.57−3.43Action7,860
34Mar 20, 198213.56−3.44Action8,310
35Jun 12, 196713.44−3.56Action7,560
36May 29, 200913.40−3.60Action5,550
37Mar 20, 198613.36−3.64Action6,950
38May 25, 202413.25−3.75Action5,310
39Mar 2, 202313.23−3.77Action5,280
40Apr 18, 197313.17−3.83Action6,090
41Oct 1, 201613.05−3.95Action5,020
42Feb 23, 201113.04−3.96Action5,030
43Mar 22, 197513.03−3.97Action6,990
44Jun 23, 199812.93−4.07Action6,250
45Mar 19, 194812.87−4.13Action9,580
46Mar 18, 197112.69−4.31Action6,140
47Jun 26, 199712.51−4.49Action5,590
48May 7, 200112.40−4.60Action5,800
49Mar 7, 194912.25−4.75Action6,330
50Jun 17, 200012.23−4.77Action4,590

Other gauges in Black Hawk County

Flood gauges in Black Hawk County
Hudson15.019.03 ft, Apr 25, 20081
Cedar Falls89.0102.10 ft, Jun 10, 20087
Waterloo13.027.01 ft, Jun 11, 20084

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FNHI4, 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.