Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock

Highest listed crest 53.10 ftFlood stage 30.0 ft47 crests since 1902

The Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 47 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2025. The highest, 53.10 ft on December 8, 1978, was major flooding, 23.10 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Kentucky River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
53.10 ft
December 8, 1978
Flood stage
30.0 ft
Major flooding from 39.0 ft
Crests at major
6
18th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
47.20 ft, major flooding
Location
Jessamine County
Near Nicholasville (9.6 mi), Danville (13.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock
Action stage26.04Apr 29, 1970The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)30.030Feb 24, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage36.07Feb 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage39.06Apr 6, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

47 crests from 1902 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock, 1902 to 2025 2030405060ft Flood stage 30.0 ftMajor 39.0 ft Jan 30, 1902: 30.00 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 1913: 33.00 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 1913: 34.60 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 1915: 34.60 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1917: 33.00 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 1918: 31.20 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1919: 34.40 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1920: 33.80 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 1924: 36.50 ft, moderate floodingDec 9, 1924: 31.30 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 1926: 34.80 ft, minor flooding; 71,400 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1929: 31.20 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1935: 33.20 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 1937: 42.20 ft, major floodingFeb 6, 1939: 34.20 ft, minor floodingDec 30, 1942: 33.60 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1943: 28.20 ft, action stageJan 11, 1946: 29.20 ft, action stageFeb 17, 1948: 34.80 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1948: 30.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 4, 1950: 35.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 1951: 29.50 ft, action stageMar 25, 1952: 30.90 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1955: 33.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 1956: 31.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1957: 34.30 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1958: 34.00 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1962: 37.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 10, 1964: 32.30 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 1970: 28.00 ft, action stageJan 1, 1972: 52.90 ft, major floodingApr 16, 1972: 42.41 ft, major floodingDec 8, 1978: 53.10 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1989: 38.50 ft, moderate floodingDec 31, 1990: 33.30 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1994: 37.90 ft, moderate flooding; 92,800 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1995: 30.75 ft, minor flooding; 74,500 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1997: 37.31 ft, moderate flooding; 91,200 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2002: 34.50 ft, minor flooding; 83,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2003: 34.48 ft, minor flooding; 83,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2004: 31.60 ft, minor flooding; 76,500 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2010: 43.69 ft, major flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2015: 31.98 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2019: 30.23 ft, minor flooding; 73,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2021: 38.68 ft, moderate flooding; 95,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 37.16 ft, moderate flooding; 91,500 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 47.20 ft, major flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 53.10 ft, Dec 8, 1978 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock 1900s: 1 1910s: 6 6 1920s: 5 1930s: 3 1940s: 3 1950s: 6 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 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, Kentucky River at High Bridge Lock
1Dec 8, 197853.10+23.10Major—
2Jan 1, 197252.90+22.90Major—
3Apr 6, 202547.20+17.20Major118,000
4May 3, 201043.69+13.69Major106,000
5Apr 16, 197242.41+12.41Major—
6Jan 23, 193742.20+12.20Major—
7Mar 4, 202138.68+8.68Moderate95,500
8Feb 16, 198938.50+8.50Moderate—
9Mar 1, 196237.90+7.90Moderate—
10Mar 10, 199437.90+7.90Moderate92,800
11Mar 3, 199737.31+7.31Moderate91,200
12Feb 17, 202537.16+7.16Moderate91,500
13Jan 3, 192436.50+6.50Moderate—
14Feb 4, 195035.40+5.40Minor—
15Dec 26, 192634.80+4.80Minor71,400
16Feb 17, 194834.80+4.80Minor—
17Mar 27, 191334.60+4.60Minor—
18Dec 19, 191534.60+4.60Minor—
19Mar 21, 200234.50+4.50Minor83,800
20Feb 18, 200334.48+4.48Minor83,700
21Jan 2, 191934.40+4.40Minor—
22Feb 2, 195734.30+4.30Minor—
23Feb 6, 193934.20+4.20Minor—
24Apr 30, 195834.00+4.00Minor—
25Jan 10, 192033.80+3.80Minor—
26Dec 30, 194233.60+3.60Minor—
27Mar 6, 195533.50+3.50Minor—
28Dec 31, 199033.30+3.30Minor—
29Mar 12, 193533.20+3.20Minor—
30Jan 8, 191333.00+3.00Minor—
31Jan 22, 191733.00+3.00Minor—
32Mar 10, 196432.30+2.30Minor—
33Apr 15, 201531.98+1.98Minor—
34Feb 18, 195631.90+1.90Minor—
35Feb 18, 200431.60+1.60Minor76,500
36Dec 9, 192431.30+1.30Minor—
37Jan 31, 191831.20+1.20Minor—
38Mar 26, 192931.20+1.20Minor—
39Mar 25, 195230.90+0.90Minor—
40May 19, 199530.75+0.75Minor74,500
41Apr 14, 194830.70+0.70Minor—
42Feb 24, 201930.23+0.23Minor73,400
43Jan 30, 190230.000.00Minor—
44Feb 5, 195129.50−0.50Action—
45Jan 11, 194629.20−0.80Action—
46Mar 20, 194328.20−1.80Action—
47Apr 29, 197028.00−2.00Action—

The worst floods along the Kentucky River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Kentucky River that crested above flood stage within a week.

December 8, 1978: 53.10 ft here, major flooding

  • LockportKY · Dec 11, 1978 · 51.65 ft · Major
  • Frankfort LockKY · Dec 10, 1978 · 48.47 ft · Major · its highest
  • Ford LockKY · Dec 10, 1978 · 40.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • HeidelbergKY · Dec 9, 1978 · 28.32 ft · Moderate

April 6, 2025: 47.20 ft here, major flooding

  • LockportKY · Apr 7, 2025 · 53.71 ft · Major
  • Frankfort LockKY · Apr 7, 2025 · 48.35 ft · Major
  • Camp NelsonKY · Apr 6, 2025 · 47.04 ft · Major · its highest
  • RavennaKY · Apr 5, 2025 · 32.02 ft · Major
  • Ford LockKY · Apr 6, 2025 · 35.00 ft · Moderate

May 3, 2010: 43.69 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Kentucky River

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

Flood gauges on the Kentucky River
HeidelbergKY20.035.60 ft, Feb 4, 19399
RavennaKY21.040.30 ft, Mar 2, 202112
Ford LockKY26.040.15 ft, Dec 10, 19781
Camp NelsonKY30.047.04 ft, Apr 6, 20256
High Bridge Lock this gaugeKY30.053.10 ft, Dec 8, 19786
Frankfort LockKY31.048.47 ft, Dec 10, 197810
LockportKY33.056.85 ft, Jan 26, 19376

Other gauges in Jessamine County

Flood gauges in Jessamine County
Camp Nelson30.047.04 ft, Apr 6, 20256

Jessamine County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kentucky

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HIBK2, 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.