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Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock

Highest listed crest 18.10 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft23 crests since 1973

The Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock crested above flood stage 7 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2019. The highest, 18.10 ft on May 23, 1973, was moderate flooding, 6.10 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Atchafalaya River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.10 ft
May 23, 1973
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2019
13.71 ft, minor flooding
Location
Iberville Parish
Louisiana
Identifiers
NWS BSRL1
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock
Action stage10.03Jan 29, 1991The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.06Mar 16, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.01May 23, 1973Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1973 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock, 1973 to 2019 0102030ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft May 23, 1973: 18.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 4, 1979: 11.80 ft, action stageJun 5, 1983: 12.40 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1984: 9.30 ft, below flood stageMar 22, 1985: 9.10 ft, below flood stageJan 1, 1986: 7.80 ft, below flood stageMar 19, 1987: 8.00 ft, below flood stageJan 13, 1988: 7.50 ft, below flood stageMar 17, 1989: 9.10 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 1990: 10.00 ft, action stageJan 29, 1991: 10.70 ft, action stageMay 1, 1993: 9.80 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1996: 9.00 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 1997: 12.00 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1998: 9.10 ft, below flood stageFeb 22, 1999: 9.40 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 2000: 6.40 ft, below flood stageJan 25, 2001: 4.50 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 2002: 9.40 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2008: 12.40 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2011: 17.40 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 2016: 12.90 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2019: 13.71 ft, minor flooding Highest, 18.10 ft, May 23, 1973 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrel Lock
1May 23, 197318.10+6.10Moderate—
2May 28, 201117.40+5.40Minor—
3Mar 16, 201913.71+1.71Minor—
4Jan 23, 201612.90+0.90Minor—
5Jun 5, 198312.40+0.40Minor—
6Apr 28, 200812.40+0.40Minor—
7Mar 31, 199712.000.00Minor—
8May 4, 197911.80−0.20Action—
9Jan 29, 199110.70−1.30Action—
10Jun 15, 199010.00−2.00Action—
11May 1, 19939.80−2.20Below flood stage—
12Feb 22, 19999.40−2.60Below flood stage—
13Jun 10, 20029.40−2.60Below flood stage—
14May 25, 19849.30−2.70Below flood stage—
15Mar 22, 19859.10−2.90Below flood stage—
16Mar 17, 19899.10−2.90Below flood stage—
17May 18, 19989.10−2.90Below flood stage—
18Jun 16, 19969.00−3.00Below flood stage—
19Mar 19, 19878.00−4.00Below flood stage—
20Jan 1, 19867.80−4.20Below flood stage—
21Jan 13, 19887.50−4.50Below flood stage—
22Apr 25, 20006.40−5.60Below flood stage—
23Jan 25, 20014.50−7.50Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Atchafalaya River

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

May 23, 1973: 18.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Butte La RoseLA · May 23, 1973 · 27.28 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Morgan CityLA · May 28, 1973 · 10.53 ft · Moderate · its highest

May 28, 2011: 17.40 ft here, minor flooding

March 16, 2019: 13.71 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Atchafalaya River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Atchafalaya River
Butte La RoseLA20.027.28 ft, May 23, 19730
Bayou Sorrel LandsideLA6.07.80 ft, Aug 17, 20160
Bayou Sorrel Lock this gaugeLA12.018.10 ft, May 23, 19730
Krotz SpringsLA29.038.50 ft, May 15, 19270
MelvilleLA34.046.98 ft, May 14, 19270
Morgan CityLA6.010.53 ft, May 28, 19730
SimmesportLA40.059.13 ft, May 16, 192715

Other gauges in Iberville Parish

Flood gauges in Iberville Parish
Bayou Sorrel Landside6.07.80 ft, Aug 17, 20160

Iberville Parish: every hazard · River floods across the country · Louisiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BSRL1, 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.