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Salmon River at White Bird

Highest listed crest 37.50 ftFlood stage 32.0 ft26 crests since 1894

The Salmon River at White Bird crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1894 to 2025. The highest, 37.50 ft on June 1, 1894, was major flooding, 5.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
37.50 ft
June 1, 1894; 120,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
32.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
2
12th of 78 gauges in Idaho
Most recent flood crest
May 18, 1997
32.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Idaho County
Idaho

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Salmon River at White Bird
Action stage30.011Jun 2, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)32.05May 18, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage33.01May 24, 1956Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.02Jun 17, 1974Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 1894 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Salmon River at White Bird, 1894 to 2025 2025303540ft Flood stage 32.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Jun 1, 1894: 37.50 ft, major flooding; 120,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1928: 30.06 ft, action stage; 81,600 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1933: 29.86 ft, below flood stage; 82,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1947: 30.35 ft, action stage; 84,500 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1948: 32.95 ft, minor flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1956: 33.05 ft, moderate flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1957: 30.39 ft, action stage; 82,400 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1958: 29.96 ft, below flood stage; 83,600 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1964: 29.98 ft, below flood stage; 79,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1965: 32.18 ft, minor flooding; 96,600 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1970: 30.20 ft, action stage; 84,800 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1971: 30.90 ft, action stage; 90,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1972: 32.23 ft, minor flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1974: 35.81 ft, major flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1982: 31.50 ft, action stage; 93,500 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1986: 32.56 ft, minor flooding; 97,200 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1996: 31.56 ft, action stage; 95,280 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1997: 32.26 ft, minor flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2006: 31.51 ft, action stage; 93,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2008: 31.45 ft, action stage; 93,300 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2010: 30.30 ft, action stage; 84,200 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2011: 29.85 ft, below flood stage; 80,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2017: 30.57 ft, action stage; 86,400 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2020: 28.10 ft, below flood stage; 68,700 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2022: 28.11 ft, below flood stage; 68,800 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2025: 25.79 ft, below flood stage; 53,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 37.50 ft, Jun 1, 1894 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Salmon River at White Bird 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 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

Highest listed crests, Salmon River at White Bird
1Jun 1, 189437.50+5.50Major120,000
2Jun 17, 197435.81+3.81Major130,000
3May 24, 195633.05+1.05Moderate106,000
4Jun 3, 194832.95+0.95Minor103,000
5Jun 1, 198632.56+0.56Minor97,200
6May 18, 199732.26+0.26Minor101,000
7Jun 2, 197232.23+0.23Minor100,000
8Jun 12, 196532.18+0.18Minor96,600
9Jun 10, 199631.56−0.44Action95,280
10May 21, 200631.51−0.49Action93,800
11Jun 20, 198231.50−0.50Action93,500
12May 21, 200831.45−0.55Action93,300
13May 29, 197130.90−1.10Action90,000
14Jun 2, 201730.57−1.43Action86,400
15Jun 6, 195730.39−1.61Action82,400
16May 9, 194730.35−1.65Action84,500
17Jun 5, 201030.30−1.70Action84,200
18Jun 6, 197030.20−1.80Action84,800
19May 23, 192830.06−1.94Action81,600
20Jun 8, 196429.98−2.02Below flood stage79,000
21May 25, 195829.96−2.04Below flood stage83,600
22Jun 15, 193329.86−2.14Below flood stage82,200
23Jun 24, 201129.85−2.15Below flood stage80,800
24Jun 12, 202228.11−3.89Below flood stage68,800
25May 31, 202028.10−3.90Below flood stage68,700
26May 12, 202525.79−6.21Below flood stage53,600

Other gauges in Idaho County

Flood gauges in Idaho County
Riggins10.012.18 ft, Jun 17, 19740
Lowell14.016.04 ft, May 29, 19480
Stites8.010.79 ft, Apr 9, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHBI1, 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.