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Grand River at Lowell

Highest listed crest 19.02 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft31 crests since 1938

The Grand River at Lowell crested above flood stage 23 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2022. The highest, 19.02 ft on April 21, 2013, was moderate flooding, 4.02 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Grand River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.02 ft
April 21, 2013; 28,446 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
0
23 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 21, 2020
17.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Kent County
Near Kentwood (12.9 mi), East Grand Rapids (13.4 mi), Ionia (14.0 mi)
Identifiers
NWS LWLM4
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, Grand River at Lowell
Action stage10.08Feb 18, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.019May 21, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.04Feb 24, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1938 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Grand River at Lowell, 1938 to 2022 101214161820ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Feb 15, 1938: 16.10 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1942: 17.80 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 1943: 16.80 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1946: 15.50 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1947: 18.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1948: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1950: 16.40 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 1956: 16.12 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1960: 17.38 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1976: 17.26 ft, minor floodingOct 4, 1981: 15.90 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1982: 16.40 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1985: 15.10 ft, minor floodingOct 3, 1986: 16.85 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1996: 13.70 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1997: 15.80 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1999: 14.00 ft, action stageMay 21, 2000: 14.86 ft, action stageMay 26, 2004: 17.17 ft, minor flooding; 22,676 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2008: 15.75 ft, minor flooding; 18,992 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2009: 13.20 ft, action stageApr 30, 2009: 15.02 ft, minor flooding; 17,539 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2010: 10.35 ft, action stageApr 14, 2013: 15.39 ft, minor flooding; 18,269 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2013: 19.02 ft, moderate flooding; 28,446 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2017: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 18,589 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2018: 18.20 ft, moderate flooding; 25,656 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2019: 13.80 ft, action stageMay 21, 2020: 17.23 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 2021: 13.25 ft, action stageFeb 18, 2022: 10.14 ft, action stage Highest, 19.02 ft, Apr 21, 2013 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Grand River at Lowell 1930s: 1 1940s: 5 5 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 1 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Grand River at Lowell
1Apr 21, 201319.02+4.02Moderate28,446
2Mar 22, 194819.00+4.00Moderate—
3Apr 8, 194718.50+3.50Moderate—
4Feb 24, 201818.20+3.20Moderate25,656
5Mar 19, 194217.80+2.80Minor—
6Apr 2, 196017.38+2.38Minor—
7Mar 7, 197617.26+2.26Minor—
8May 21, 202017.23+2.23Minor—
9May 26, 200417.17+2.17Minor22,676
10Oct 3, 198616.85+1.85Minor—
11Mar 18, 194316.80+1.80Minor—
12Apr 6, 195016.40+1.40Minor—
13Mar 19, 198216.40+1.40Minor—
14May 12, 195616.12+1.12Minor—
15Feb 15, 193816.10+1.10Minor—
16Oct 4, 198115.90+0.90Minor—
17Feb 24, 199715.80+0.80Minor—
18Dec 30, 200815.75+0.75Minor18,992
19Apr 9, 201715.55+0.55Minor18,589
20Mar 9, 194615.50+0.50Minor—
21Apr 14, 201315.39+0.39Minor18,269
22Apr 8, 198515.10+0.10Minor—
23Apr 30, 200915.02+0.02Minor17,539
24May 21, 200014.86−0.14Action—
25Apr 25, 199914.00−1.00Action—
26Mar 18, 201913.80−1.20Action—
27Jun 21, 199613.70−1.30Action—
28Jun 30, 202113.25−1.75Action—
29Feb 14, 200913.20−1.80Action—
30Apr 10, 201010.35−4.65Action—
31Feb 18, 202210.14−4.86Action—

The worst floods along the Grand River

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

April 21, 2013: 19.02 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Comstock ParkMI · Apr 21, 2013 · 17.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • IoniaMI · Apr 20, 2013 · 24.69 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • AdaMI · Apr 21, 2013 · 22.81 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Grand RapidsMI · Apr 21, 2013 · 21.85 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Robinson TownshipMI · Apr 19, 2013 · 17.00 ft · Moderate
  • JacksonMI · Apr 19, 2013 · 14.25 ft · Minor
  • LansingMI · Apr 21, 2013 · 11.15 ft · Minor

March 22, 1948: 19.00 ft here, moderate flooding

April 8, 1947: 18.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Comstock ParkMI · Apr 9, 1947 · 17.45 ft · Major
  • Eaton RapidsMI · Apr 6, 1947 · 9.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • IoniaMI · Apr 7, 1947 · 23.60 ft · Moderate
  • DimondaleMI · Apr 6, 1947 · 13.60 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Grand LedgeMI · Apr 7, 1947 · 12.00 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Grand River

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

Flood gauges on the Grand River
AdaMI20.022.81 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Comstock ParkMI12.017.80 ft, Apr 21, 201310
DimondaleMI13.013.60 ft, Apr 6, 19470
Eaton RapidsMI6.09.10 ft, Apr 6, 19471
Grand LedgeMI11.014.00 ft, Mar 26, 19040
Grand RapidsMI18.021.85 ft, Apr 21, 20130
IoniaMI21.024.69 ft, Apr 20, 20130
JacksonMI14.015.44 ft, Jun 25, 19680
LansingMI11.015.43 ft, Apr 20, 19751
Lowell this gaugeMI15.019.02 ft, Apr 21, 20130
PortlandMI12.012.98 ft, Apr 21, 19750
Robinson TownshipMI13.318.30 ft, Jan 21, 20052

Other gauges in Kent County

Flood gauges in Kent County
Wilson Avenue at Grandville9.010.76 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Ada20.022.81 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Comstock Park12.017.80 ft, Apr 21, 201310
Grand Rapids18.021.85 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Rockford8.011.35 ft, Sep 12, 19861
Caledonia10.014.40 ft, Apr 7, 19471

Kent County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Michigan

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LWLM4, 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.