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St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart

Highest listed crest 30.00 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft9 crests since 1908

The St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 9 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2023. The highest, 30.00 ft on March 8, 1908, was major flooding, 6.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.00 ft
March 8, 1908; 26,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
1
96th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest
March 8, 1908
30.00 ft, major flooding
Location
Elkhart County
Near Elkhart (0.7 mi), Mishawaka (9.9 mi), Goshen (11.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart
Action stage23.03Mar 7, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.01Mar 8, 1908Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

9 crests from 1908 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart, 1908 to 2023 2224262830ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Mar 8, 1908: 30.00 ft, major flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2014: 22.86 ft, below flood stage; 9,140 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2014: 22.86 ft, below flood stage; 9,140 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2015: 22.40 ft, below flood stage; 7,950 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2017: 22.29 ft, below flood stage; 7,740 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2019: 23.96 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2021: 22.22 ft, below flood stage; 7,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2022: 23.17 ft, action stage; 9,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2023: 23.03 ft, action stage; 9,140 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.00 ft, Mar 8, 1908 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart 1900s: 1 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Elkhart
1Mar 8, 190830.00+6.00Major26,000
2May 6, 201923.96−0.04Action11,100
3Feb 27, 202223.17−0.83Action9,400
4Mar 7, 202323.03−0.97Action9,140
5Apr 5, 201422.86−1.14Below flood stage9,140
6Apr 9, 201422.86−1.14Below flood stage9,140
7Jul 23, 201522.40−1.60Below flood stage7,950
8Apr 10, 201722.29−1.71Below flood stage7,740
9Jul 2, 202122.22−1.78Below flood stage7,620

Gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)

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

Flood gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)
BurlingtonMI6.56.93 ft, Feb 22, 20180
Three RiversMI7.011.80 ft, Jun 3, 19892
MottvilleMI8.010.76 ft, Apr 27, 19503
Elkhart this gaugeIN24.030.00 ft, Mar 8, 19081
South BendIN5.512.70 ft, Feb 22, 20186
NilesMI11.017.33 ft, Feb 22, 20182

Other gauges in Elkhart County

Flood gauges in Elkhart County
Goshen7.012.53 ft, Feb 21, 20184

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EKMI3, 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.