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Big Wood River near Ketchum

Highest listed crest 9.89 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft21 crests since 1956

The Big Wood River near Ketchum crested above flood stage 2 times among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1956 to 2022. The highest, 9.89 ft on May 7, 2017, was moderate flooding, 1.89 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
9.89 ft
May 7, 2017; 5,060 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 7, 2017
9.89 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Blaine County
Idaho

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 near Ketchum
Action stage7.52Jun 12, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.01Apr 26, 2012Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.01May 7, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 1956 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Wood River near Ketchum, 1956 to 2022 246810ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft May 24, 1956: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1957: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1965: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1966: 3.97 ft, below flood stage; 455 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1967: 5.92 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1968: 4.01 ft, below flood stage; 471 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1969: 5.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1970: 4.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1971: 5.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2011: 7.61 ft, action stage; 952 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2012: 8.74 ft, minor flooding; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2013: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 637 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2014: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 559 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2015: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 439 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2016: 7.17 ft, below flood stage; 731 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2017: 9.89 ft, moderate flooding; 5,060 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2018: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 909 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2019: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 483 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2021: 6.08 ft, below flood stage; 320 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2022: 7.52 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.89 ft, May 7, 2017 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Wood River near Ketchum 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 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 near Ketchum
1May 7, 20179.89+1.89Moderate5,060
2Apr 26, 20128.74+0.74Minor1,830
3Jun 24, 20117.61−0.39Action952
4Jun 12, 20227.52−0.48Action1,110
5Jun 6, 20197.49−0.51Below flood stage1,030
6May 27, 20187.35−0.65Below flood stage909
7Jun 6, 20167.17−0.83Below flood stage731
8May 14, 20136.87−1.13Below flood stage637
9May 29, 20146.75−1.25Below flood stage559
10May 31, 20206.52−1.48Below flood stage483
11Jun 1, 20156.45−1.55Below flood stage439
12May 24, 19566.44−1.56Below flood stage1,620
13Jun 5, 20216.08−1.92Below flood stage320
14Jun 12, 19656.01−1.99Below flood stage1,450
15May 24, 19675.92−2.08Below flood stage1,620
16Jun 4, 19575.55−2.45Below flood stage1,200
17Jun 22, 19715.50−2.50Below flood stage1,460
18May 27, 19695.36−2.64Below flood stage1,360
19Jun 9, 19704.90−3.10Below flood stage1,030
20Jun 3, 19684.01−3.99Below flood stage471
21May 30, 19663.97−4.03Below flood stage455

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: 9.89 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HaileyID · May 7, 2017 · 8.36 ft · Major · its highest

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
Ketchum this gaugeID8.09.89 ft, May 7, 20170
HaileyID6.08.36 ft, May 7, 20171
Magic DamID9.015.68 ft, Apr 26, 19520

Other gauges in Blaine County

Flood gauges in Blaine County
Hailey6.08.36 ft, May 7, 20171
Magic Dam9.015.68 ft, Apr 26, 19520
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 BWKI1, 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.