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North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville

Highest listed crest 8.12 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft50 crests since 1972

The North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2021. The highest, 8.12 ft on March 23, 1982, was major flooding, 2.12 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.12 ft
March 23, 1982
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
1
96th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest
August 17, 2021
6.00 ft, minor flooding
Location
Noble County
Near Kendallville (11.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville
Action stage5.017May 5, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.017Aug 17, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.014Feb 26, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.01Mar 23, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1972 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville, 1972 to 2021 456789ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Apr 23, 1972: 5.52 ft, action stageJan 5, 1973: 5.98 ft, action stageMar 10, 1974: 6.84 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1975: 5.81 ft, action stageMar 6, 1976: 7.25 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1977: 5.84 ft, action stageApr 7, 1978: 7.41 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 1979: 6.68 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1980: 6.38 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 1981: 7.42 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 1982: 8.12 ft, major floodingMay 6, 1983: 6.11 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1984: 5.58 ft, action stageFeb 27, 1985: 7.51 ft, moderate floodingDec 1, 1985: 6.23 ft, minor floodingOct 6, 1986: 5.95 ft, action stageApr 9, 1988: 5.56 ft, action stage; 371 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1988: 5.69 ft, action stage; 365 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1990: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 545 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1991: 7.01 ft, moderate flooding; 643 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1992: 5.01 ft, action stage; 240 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1993: 7.60 ft, moderate flooding; 839 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1994: 5.34 ft, action stage; 326 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1995: 5.31 ft, action stage; 321 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1996: 6.61 ft, minor flooding; 576 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 6.86 ft, minor flooding; 576 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1998: 7.61 ft, moderate flooding; 688 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1999: 7.21 ft, moderate flooding; 561 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2000: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 214 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2001: 5.90 ft, action stage; 431 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2002: 6.19 ft, minor flooding; 403 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2003: 5.25 ft, action stage; 266 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2004: 5.63 ft, action stage; 316 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2005: 6.53 ft, minor flooding; 519 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2006: 5.76 ft, action stage; 323 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2007: 6.25 ft, minor flooding; 433 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2008: 7.28 ft, moderate flooding; 742 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2009: 7.52 ft, moderate flooding; 811 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2010: 5.63 ft, action stage; 359 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 6.71 ft, minor flooding; 586 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2011: 6.64 ft, minor flooding; 568 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2013: 7.07 ft, moderate flooding; 688 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2014: 6.42 ft, minor flooding; 511 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2015: 7.50 ft, moderate flooding; 822 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2016: 5.86 ft, action stage; 338 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2017: 7.13 ft, moderate flooding; 503 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2018: 7.51 ft, moderate flooding; 825 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2019: 6.39 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 2020: 6.77 ft, minor flooding; 461 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2021: 6.00 ft, minor flooding; 264 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.12 ft, Mar 23, 1982 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, North Branch Elkhart River at Cosperville
1Mar 23, 19828.12+2.12Major—
2Jan 11, 19987.61+1.61Moderate688
3Jan 7, 19937.60+1.60Moderate839
4Mar 14, 20097.52+1.52Moderate811
5Feb 27, 19857.51+1.51Moderate—
6Feb 26, 20187.51+1.51Moderate825
7Jul 21, 20157.50+1.50Moderate822
8Jun 16, 19817.42+1.42Moderate—
9Apr 7, 19787.41+1.41Moderate—
10Jan 12, 20087.28+1.28Moderate742
11Mar 6, 19767.25+1.25Moderate—
12Apr 26, 19997.21+1.21Moderate561
13May 30, 20177.13+1.13Moderate503
14Apr 25, 20137.07+1.07Moderate688
15Jan 3, 19917.01+1.01Moderate643
16Mar 1, 19976.86+0.86Minor576
17Mar 10, 19746.84+0.84Minor—
18Jan 23, 20206.77+0.77Minor461
19May 30, 20116.71+0.71Minor586
20Mar 11, 19796.68+0.68Minor—
21Dec 16, 20116.64+0.64Minor568
22Jun 21, 19966.61+0.61Minor576
23Jan 16, 20056.53+0.53Minor519
24Apr 8, 20146.42+0.42Minor511
25May 4, 20196.39+0.39Minor—
26Jun 7, 19806.38+0.38Minor—
27Feb 26, 19906.38+0.38Minor545
28Jan 17, 20076.25+0.25Minor433
29Dec 1, 19856.23+0.23Minor—
30May 17, 20026.19+0.19Minor403
31May 6, 19836.11+0.11Minor—
32Aug 17, 20216.000.00Minor264
33Jan 5, 19735.98−0.02Action—
34Oct 6, 19865.95−0.05Action—
35Feb 15, 20015.90−0.10Action431
36May 5, 20165.86−0.14Action338
37Mar 30, 19775.84−0.16Action—
38Apr 30, 19755.81−0.19Action—
39Jul 28, 20065.76−0.24Action323
40Nov 22, 19885.69−0.31Action365
41Jun 18, 20045.63−0.37Action316
42Jun 6, 20105.63−0.37Action359
43Mar 22, 19845.58−0.42Action—
44Apr 9, 19885.56−0.44Action371
45Apr 23, 19725.52−0.48Action—
46Apr 15, 19945.34−0.66Action326
47Apr 14, 19955.31−0.69Action321
48May 16, 20035.25−0.75Action266
49Jul 24, 19925.01−0.99Action240
50Apr 24, 20004.50−1.50Below flood stage214

Noble County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CPEI3, 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.