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Big Wood River at Hailey

Highest listed crest 8.36 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft39 crests since 1958

The Big Wood River at Hailey crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1958 to 2022. The highest, 8.36 ft on May 7, 2017, was major flooding, 2.36 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Big Wood River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.36 ft
May 7, 2017; 6,270 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
1
19th of 78 gauges in Idaho
Most recent flood crest
May 7, 2017
8.36 ft, major flooding
Location
Blaine County
Near Hailey (1.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Wood River at Hailey
Action stage5.010Jun 13, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.09May 31, 2003Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.04May 21, 2006Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.01May 7, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1958 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Wood River at Hailey, 1958 to 2022 246810ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft May 25, 1958: 6.25 ft, minor flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1965: 5.93 ft, action stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1967: 7.72 ft, moderate flooding; 4,790 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1969: 6.46 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1974: 7.20 ft, moderate flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1975: 6.44 ft, minor flooding; 3,620 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1982: 6.80 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1982: 6.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,440 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1983: 7.93 ft, moderate flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1986: 6.82 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1993: 5.25 ft, action stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1995: 6.02 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1996: 5.82 ft, action stage; 3,790 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1997: 6.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,790 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1998: 4.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1999: 5.71 ft, action stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2000: 4.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2001: 2.64 ft, below flood stage; 925 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2002: 3.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2003: 6.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2004: 3.39 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2005: 5.96 ft, action stage; 4,100 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2006: 7.92 ft, moderate flooding; 7,880 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2007: 3.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2008: 4.78 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2009: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 2,480 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2010: 4.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2011: 5.06 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2012: 5.61 ft, action stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2013: 3.77 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2014: 3.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2015: 3.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2016: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2017: 8.36 ft, major flooding; 6,270 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2018: 5.12 ft, action stage; 2,230 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2019: 5.90 ft, action stage; 3,480 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 4.01 ft, below flood stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2021: 3.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2022: 5.52 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.36 ft, May 7, 2017 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Wood River at Hailey 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Big Wood River at Hailey
1May 7, 20178.36+2.36Major6,270
2May 30, 19837.93+1.93Moderate6,150
3May 21, 20067.92+1.92Moderate7,880
4May 25, 19677.72+1.72Moderate4,790
5Jun 16, 19747.20+1.20Moderate4,970
6Jun 18, 19826.94+0.94Minor4,440
7May 30, 19866.82+0.82Minor5,300
8May 14, 19826.80+0.80Minor—
9Jun 5, 19976.60+0.60Minor4,790
10May 26, 19696.46+0.46Minor4,310
11Jun 7, 19756.44+0.44Minor3,620
12May 25, 19586.25+0.25Minor4,520
13May 31, 20036.17+0.17Minor4,220
14Jun 6, 19956.02+0.02Minor4,170
15May 20, 20055.96−0.04Action4,100
16Jun 12, 19655.93−0.07Action4,050
17Jun 7, 20195.90−0.10Action3,480
18Jun 10, 19965.82−0.18Action3,790
19Jun 19, 19995.71−0.29Action3,360
20Apr 27, 20125.61−0.39Action3,600
21Jun 13, 20225.52−0.48Action2,660
22May 21, 19935.25−0.75Action3,250
23May 26, 20185.12−0.88Action2,230
24Jun 24, 20115.06−0.94Action2,900
25Jun 7, 20104.96−1.04Below flood stage2,780
26May 20, 20084.78−1.22Below flood stage2,420
27Jul 4, 19984.77−1.23Below flood stage2,630
28Jun 5, 20094.69−1.31Below flood stage2,480
29Jun 9, 20164.31−1.69Below flood stage2,020
30May 25, 20004.03−1.97Below flood stage1,940
31May 31, 20204.01−1.99Below flood stage1,520
32Jun 1, 20023.97−2.03Below flood stage1,880
33May 15, 20133.77−2.23Below flood stage1,460
34May 28, 20143.63−2.37Below flood stage1,370
35Jun 9, 20153.49−2.51Below flood stage1,390
36Jun 5, 20213.44−2.56Below flood stage1,040
37Jun 6, 20043.39−2.61Below flood stage1,150
38May 13, 20073.18−2.82Below flood stage1,110
39May 26, 20012.64−3.36Below flood stage925

The worst floods along the Big Wood River

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

May 7, 2017: 8.36 ft here, major flooding

  • KetchumID · May 7, 2017 · 9.89 ft · Moderate · its highest

May 30, 1983: 7.93 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Magic DamID · May 31, 1983 · 10.69 ft · Minor

May 21, 2006: 7.92 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Magic DamID · May 21, 2006 · 10.26 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Big Wood River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Big Wood River
KetchumID8.09.89 ft, May 7, 20170
Hailey this gaugeID6.08.36 ft, May 7, 20171
Magic DamID9.015.68 ft, Apr 26, 19520

Other gauges in Blaine County

Flood gauges in Blaine County
Magic Dam9.015.68 ft, Apr 26, 19520
Ketchum8.09.89 ft, May 7, 20170
Gimlet8.48.62 ft, Jun 5, 20170
High 5 Creek5.48.22 ft, Mar 22, 20180
Carey5.88.95 ft, Apr 27, 19520
Ketchum7.37.48 ft, Jun 8, 20170
Picabo8.39.36 ft, Apr 6, 20060
Ketchum7.07.83 ft, Jun 8, 20170
Ketchum12.213.68 ft, May 7, 20170

Blaine County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Idaho

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HALI1, 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.