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Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry

Highest listed crest 80.13 ftFlood stage 64.0 ft72 crests since 1894

The Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 72 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1894 to 2024. The highest, 80.13 ft on May 29, 1961, was major flooding, 16.13 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
80.13 ft
May 29, 1961
Flood stage
64.0 ft
Major flooding from 78.0 ft
Crests at major
4
5th of 78 gauges in Idaho
Most recent flood crest
July 4, 2012
66.61 ft, minor flooding
Location
Boundary County
Idaho

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry
Action stage57.028May 17, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)64.06Jul 4, 2012Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage70.020May 30, 1971Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage78.04May 29, 1961Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

72 crests from 1894 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry, 1894 to 2024 5060708090ft Flood stage 64.0 ftMajor 78.0 ft Jun 1, 1894: 77.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 1928: 72.78 ft, moderate flooding; 82,800 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1932: 70.06 ft, moderate flooding; 74,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1933: 74.98 ft, moderate flooding; 99,800 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1934: 73.04 ft, moderate flooding; 87,800 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1938: 74.44 ft, moderate flooding; 89,800 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1942: 72.00 ft, moderate flooding; 81,100 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1946: 73.41 ft, moderate flooding; 80,500 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1947: 74.31 ft, moderate flooding; 88,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1948: 78.32 ft, major flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1949: 73.84 ft, moderate flooding; 81,700 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1950: 76.98 ft, moderate flooding; 90,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1951: 74.86 ft, moderate flooding; 83,800 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1953: 73.21 ft, moderate flooding; 76,700 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1954: 78.55 ft, major flooding; 114,000 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1955: 74.80 ft, moderate flooding; 85,600 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1956: 80.10 ft, major flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1957: 71.81 ft, moderate flooding; 77,200 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1958: 72.68 ft, moderate flooding; 74,200 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1959: 75.69 ft, moderate flooding; 91,600 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1961: 80.13 ft, major floodingJun 10, 1964: 74.94 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1967: 76.04 ft, moderate floodingMay 30, 1971: 73.84 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 1972: 66.97 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1974: 65.27 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 1975: 66.26 ft, minor floodingDec 9, 1978: 52.80 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 1980: 56.00 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 1981: 61.52 ft, action stageMay 26, 1982: 61.03 ft, action stageMay 30, 1983: 56.42 ft, below flood stageJan 5, 1984: 53.01 ft, below flood stageFeb 7, 1985: 54.91 ft, below flood stageNov 5, 1985: 57.31 ft, action stageNov 24, 1986: 57.11 ft, action stageSep 22, 1988: 53.33 ft, below flood stageFeb 2, 1989: 55.43 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 1990: 58.35 ft, action stageMay 19, 1991: 60.33 ft, action stageNov 5, 1991: 54.62 ft, below flood stageNov 23, 1992: 53.60 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 1994: 53.27 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 1995: 58.54 ft, action stageJun 5, 1996: 63.42 ft, action stageMay 17, 1997: 64.56 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1998: 61.50 ft, action stageJun 18, 1999: 61.29 ft, action stageJun 15, 2000: 57.16 ft, action stageJul 2, 2002: 61.92 ft, action stageJun 11, 2003: 57.29 ft, action stageJun 7, 2004: 53.00 ft, below flood stageJun 18, 2005: 56.50 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 2006: 66.67 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 2007: 58.86 ft, action stageMay 21, 2008: 62.04 ft, action stageJun 15, 2009: 57.65 ft, action stageJun 11, 2010: 60.57 ft, action stageJun 11, 2011: 63.37 ft, action stageJul 4, 2012: 66.61 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 2013: 63.11 ft, action stageMay 24, 2014: 62.64 ft, action stageMay 29, 2015: 56.36 ft, below flood stageMay 23, 2016: 60.27 ft, action stageJun 4, 2017: 61.03 ft, action stageMay 17, 2018: 62.04 ft, action stageMay 17, 2019: 56.05 ft, below flood stageJun 1, 2020: 61.16 ft, action stageMay 25, 2021: 58.32 ft, action stageJun 14, 2022: 62.39 ft, action stageMay 19, 2023: 57.84 ft, action stageMay 17, 2024: 57.03 ft, action stage Highest, 80.13 ft, May 29, 1961 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 4 1940s: 5 1950s: 9 9 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 72 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry
1May 29, 196180.13+16.13Major—
2May 14, 195680.10+16.10Major125,000
3May 21, 195478.55+14.55Major114,000
4May 28, 194878.32+14.32Major130,000
5Jun 1, 189477.20+13.20Moderate—
6Jun 22, 195076.98+12.98Moderate90,100
7Jun 11, 196776.04+12.04Moderate—
8Jun 7, 195975.69+11.69Moderate91,600
9Jun 18, 193374.98+10.98Moderate99,800
10Jun 10, 196474.94+10.94Moderate—
11May 13, 195174.86+10.86Moderate83,800
12Jun 15, 195574.80+10.80Moderate85,600
13May 27, 193874.44+10.44Moderate89,800
14May 11, 194774.31+10.31Moderate88,200
15May 14, 194973.84+9.84Moderate81,700
16May 30, 197173.84+9.84Moderate—
17May 30, 194673.41+9.41Moderate80,500
18Jun 15, 195373.21+9.21Moderate76,700
19Apr 29, 193473.04+9.04Moderate87,800
20May 25, 192872.78+8.78Moderate82,800
21May 26, 195872.68+8.68Moderate74,200
22May 27, 194272.00+8.00Moderate81,100
23May 8, 195771.81+7.81Moderate77,200
24May 23, 193270.06+6.06Moderate74,700
25Jun 1, 197266.97+2.97Minor—
26Jun 19, 200666.67+2.67Minor—
27Jul 4, 201266.61+2.61Minor—
28Dec 4, 197566.26+2.26Minor—
29Jun 18, 197465.27+1.27Minor—
30May 17, 199764.56+0.56Minor—
31Jun 5, 199663.42−0.58Action—
32Jun 11, 201163.37−0.63Action—
33May 14, 201363.11−0.89Action—
34May 24, 201462.64−1.36Action—
35Jun 14, 202262.39−1.61Action—
36May 21, 200862.04−1.96Action—
37May 17, 201862.04−1.96Action—
38Jul 2, 200261.92−2.08Action—
39Jun 8, 198161.52−2.48Action—
40May 27, 199861.50−2.50Action—
41Jun 18, 199961.29−2.71Action—
42Jun 1, 202061.16−2.84Action—
43May 26, 198261.03−2.97Action—
44Jun 4, 201761.03−2.97Action—
45Jun 11, 201060.57−3.43Action—
46May 19, 199160.33−3.67Action—
47May 23, 201660.27−3.73Action—
48Jun 4, 200758.86−5.14Action—
49Jun 7, 199558.54−5.46Action—
50Jun 20, 199058.35−5.65Action—

Gauges on the Kootenai River

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

Flood gauges on the Kootenai River
Libby Dam near LibbyMT27.528.50 ft, Jun 18, 20060
Bonners Ferry this gaugeID64.080.13 ft, May 29, 19614

Other gauges in Boundary County

Flood gauges in Boundary County
Eastport9.010.55 ft, May 20, 19540

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BFEI1, 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.