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Grand River at Portland

Highest listed crest 12.98 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft69 crests since 1953

The Grand River at Portland crested above flood stage 6 times among the 69 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2024. The highest, 12.98 ft on April 21, 1975, was minor flooding, 0.98 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Grand River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.98 ft
April 21, 1975; 12,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2023
12.21 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ionia County
Near Ionia (11.7 mi)

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 Portland
Action stage11.012May 19, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.06Apr 6, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

69 crests from 1953 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Grand River at Portland, 1953 to 2024 6810121416ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jun 9, 1953: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1954: 9.69 ft, below flood stage; 5,350 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1955: 8.98 ft, below flood stage; 4,370 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1956: 11.51 ft, action stage; 9,100 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1957: 9.65 ft, below flood stage; 5,370 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1958: 7.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,810 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1959: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 5,260 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 11.56 ft, action stage; 8,710 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1961: 9.15 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 9.74 ft, below flood stage; 5,480 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1963: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 3,470 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1964: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1965: 9.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,510 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1966: 8.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1967: 9.06 ft, below flood stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1968: 11.57 ft, action stage; 7,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1969: 9.48 ft, below flood stage; 5,090 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1970: 9.50 ft, below flood stage; 5,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1971: 10.15 ft, below flood stage; 6,110 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1972: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1973: 10.62 ft, below flood stage; 6,940 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1974: 10.93 ft, below flood stage; 7,490 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1975: 12.98 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 11.19 ft, action stage; 7,960 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1977: 7.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1978: 9.68 ft, below flood stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 6,030 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1980: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 3,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1981: 10.51 ft, below flood stage; 6,740 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1982: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1989: 10.83 ft, below flood stage; 7,580 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1990: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 6,210 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1990: 9.38 ft, below flood stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1991: 10.66 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 1992: 9.13 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1993: 11.17 ft, action stage; 8,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 5,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1995: 9.35 ft, below flood stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1996: 10.41 ft, below flood stage; 6,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 10.01 ft, below flood stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1998: 9.66 ft, below flood stage; 5,390 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 10.49 ft, below flood stage; 6,810 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2000: 9.36 ft, below flood stageSep 23, 2000: 9.64 ft, below flood stage; 4,820 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2001: 11.12 ft, action stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2002: 8.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,890 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2003: 8.75 ft, below flood stage; 3,980 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 12.84 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 11.19 ft, action stage; 8,260 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2006: 9.51 ft, below flood stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2007: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2008: 11.51 ft, action stage; 8,050 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2009: 10.86 ft, below flood stage; 7,590 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 5,170 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 11.07 ft, action stage; 8,010 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2012: 9.04 ft, below flood stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 10.84 ft, below flood stage; 7,290 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2014: 10.01 ft, below flood stage; 5,990 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2015: 11.02 ft, action stage; 7,570 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2016: 8.95 ft, below flood stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2017: 11.41 ft, action stage; 8,730 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2018: 12.62 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 12.45 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2019: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 7,390 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 11.32 ft, action stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 10.59 ft, below flood stage; 6,850 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2022: 9.37 ft, below flood stage; 4,760 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2024: 10.25 ft, below flood stage; 6,170 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.98 ft, Apr 21, 1975 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Grand River at Portland 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 69 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Grand River at Portland
1Apr 21, 197512.98+0.98Minor12,400
2May 24, 200412.84+0.84Minor11,800
3Feb 23, 201812.62+0.62Minor11,300
4Feb 27, 201912.45+0.45Minor—
5Apr 6, 202312.21+0.21Minor10,300
6Mar 17, 198212.05+0.05Minor9,840
7Jun 30, 196811.57−0.43Action7,840
8Mar 31, 196011.56−0.44Action8,710
9May 13, 195611.51−0.49Action9,100
10Sep 15, 200811.51−0.49Action8,050
11Apr 8, 201711.41−0.59Action8,730
12May 19, 202011.32−0.68Action8,190
13Mar 5, 197611.19−0.81Action7,960
14Jan 13, 200511.19−0.81Action8,260
15Apr 20, 199311.17−0.83Action8,270
16Feb 11, 200111.12−0.88Action8,120
17May 30, 201111.07−0.93Action8,010
18Jun 23, 201511.02−0.98Action7,570
19Mar 11, 197410.93−1.07Below flood stage7,490
20Jun 20, 201910.90−1.10Below flood stage7,390
21Mar 12, 200910.86−1.14Below flood stage7,590
22Apr 19, 201310.84−1.16Below flood stage7,290
23Jun 1, 198910.83−1.17Below flood stage7,580
24Jan 28, 199110.66−1.34Below flood stage—
25Jan 1, 197310.62−1.38Below flood stage6,940
26Jun 27, 202110.59−1.41Below flood stage6,850
27Feb 21, 198110.51−1.49Below flood stage6,740
28Apr 24, 199910.49−1.51Below flood stage6,810
29Jun 19, 199610.41−1.59Below flood stage6,780
30Feb 20, 199410.36−1.64Below flood stage5,300
31Jan 28, 202410.25−1.75Below flood stage6,170
32Feb 22, 197110.15−1.85Below flood stage6,110
33Mar 7, 197910.10−1.90Below flood stage6,030
34Mar 13, 199010.10−1.90Below flood stage6,210
35Feb 22, 199710.01−1.99Below flood stage6,050
36Mar 23, 201410.01−1.99Below flood stage5,990
37Apr 17, 19729.87−2.13Below flood stage5,680
38Mar 7, 19659.76−2.24Below flood stage5,510
39Mar 21, 19629.74−2.26Below flood stage5,480
40Feb 18, 19549.69−2.31Below flood stage5,350
41Mar 25, 19789.68−2.32Below flood stage5,210
42Mar 11, 19989.66−2.34Below flood stage5,390
43May 21, 19579.65−2.35Below flood stage5,370
44Sep 23, 20009.64−2.36Below flood stage4,820
45Mar 8, 19599.58−2.42Below flood stage5,260
46Mar 14, 20109.53−2.47Below flood stage5,170
47Mar 14, 20069.51−2.49Below flood stage5,140
48Apr 9, 19709.50−2.50Below flood stage5,120
49Feb 1, 19699.48−2.52Below flood stage5,090
50Nov 29, 19909.38−2.62Below flood stage5,000

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, 1975: 12.98 ft here, minor flooding

  • LansingMI · Apr 20, 1975 · 15.43 ft · Major · its highest
  • Comstock ParkMI · Apr 23, 1975 · 14.28 ft · Moderate
  • IoniaMI · Apr 22, 1975 · 21.03 ft · Minor
  • DimondaleMI · Apr 19, 1975 · 13.30 ft · Minor
  • Grand LedgeMI · Apr 20, 1975 · 11.10 ft · Minor

May 24, 2004: 12.84 ft here, minor flooding

  • Comstock ParkMI · May 27, 2004 · 16.60 ft · Major
  • IoniaMI · May 25, 2004 · 23.41 ft · Moderate
  • Robinson TownshipMI · May 28, 2004 · 16.20 ft · Moderate
  • AdaMI · May 26, 2004 · 21.56 ft · Minor
  • Grand RapidsMI · May 27, 2004 · 19.54 ft · Minor
  • LowellMI · May 26, 2004 · 17.17 ft · Minor
  • LansingMI · May 23, 2004 · 12.85 ft · Minor
  • Eaton RapidsMI · May 23, 2004 · 6.00 ft · Minor

February 23, 2018: 12.62 ft here, minor flooding

  • Comstock ParkMI · Feb 25, 2018 · 16.85 ft · Major
  • IoniaMI · Feb 23, 2018 · 24.40 ft · Moderate
  • AdaMI · Feb 24, 2018 · 22.56 ft · Moderate
  • LowellMI · Feb 24, 2018 · 18.20 ft · Moderate
  • Robinson TownshipMI · Feb 26, 2018 · 16.08 ft · Moderate
  • LansingMI · Feb 23, 2018 · 14.62 ft · Moderate
  • Grand RapidsMI · Feb 25, 2018 · 20.67 ft · Minor
  • JacksonMI · Feb 21, 2018 · 14.03 ft · Minor
  • Eaton RapidsMI · Feb 23, 2018 · 6.20 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
LowellMI15.019.02 ft, Apr 21, 20130
Portland this gaugeMI12.012.98 ft, Apr 21, 19750
Robinson TownshipMI13.318.30 ft, Jan 21, 20052

Other gauges in Ionia County

Flood gauges in Ionia County
Smyrna8.59.05 ft, Sep 13, 19860
Ionia21.024.69 ft, Apr 20, 20130

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PORM4, 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.