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Little Muskegon River at Morley

Highest listed crest 8.57 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft27 crests since 1969

The Little Muskegon River at Morley crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2019. The highest, 8.57 ft on September 12, 1986, was major flooding, 2.57 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.57 ft
September 12, 1986; 2,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
September 12, 1986
8.57 ft, major flooding
Location
Mecosta County
Michigan

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Muskegon River at Morley
Action stage4.018Mar 15, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.01Jul 18, 1982Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.01Sep 12, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1969 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Muskegon River at Morley, 1969 to 2019 246810ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Jun 26, 1969: 3.92 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 1970: 3.94 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 1971: 3.54 ft, below flood stageAug 26, 1972: 4.53 ft, action stageJan 19, 1973: 3.84 ft, below flood stageMay 17, 1974: 5.23 ft, action stageAug 31, 1975: 5.92 ft, action stageApr 26, 1976: 5.06 ft, action stageFeb 2, 1978: 3.59 ft, below flood stageJul 18, 1982: 6.98 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 1984: 4.45 ft, action stageSep 12, 1986: 8.57 ft, major flooding; 2,300 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1986: 5.34 ft, action stageJan 31, 1988: 4.68 ft, action stageMar 15, 1989: 4.98 ft, action stageMar 12, 1990: 5.02 ft, action stageMar 28, 1991: 4.45 ft, action stage; 625 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1992: 4.17 ft, action stage; 532 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1993: 3.73 ft, below flood stage; 443 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 1995: 3.78 ft, below flood stage; 453 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 4.50 ft, action stageMay 24, 2004: 4.60 ft, action stageMar 21, 2005: 4.20 ft, action stageMar 14, 2006: 5.00 ft, action stageApr 29, 2011: 5.60 ft, action stageJun 23, 2017: 5.40 ft, action stage; 893 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 5.90 ft, action stage Highest, 8.57 ft, Sep 12, 1986 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Muskegon River at Morley 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Little Muskegon River at Morley
1Sep 12, 19868.57+2.57Major2,300
2Jul 18, 19826.98+0.98Minor—
3Aug 31, 19755.92−0.08Action—
4Mar 15, 20195.90−0.10Action—
5Apr 29, 20115.60−0.40Action—
6Jun 23, 20175.40−0.60Action893
7Oct 1, 19865.34−0.66Action—
8May 17, 19745.23−0.77Action—
9Apr 26, 19765.06−0.94Action—
10Mar 12, 19905.02−0.98Action—
11Mar 14, 20065.00−1.00Action—
12Mar 15, 19894.98−1.02Action—
13Jan 31, 19884.68−1.32Action—
14May 24, 20044.60−1.40Action—
15Aug 26, 19724.53−1.47Action—
16Mar 7, 20044.50−1.50Action—
17Dec 29, 19844.45−1.55Action—
18Mar 28, 19914.45−1.55Action625
19Mar 21, 20054.20−1.80Action—
20Jan 21, 19924.17−1.83Action532
21Jun 2, 19703.94−2.06Below flood stage—
22Jun 26, 19693.92−2.08Below flood stage—
23Jan 19, 19733.84−2.16Below flood stage—
24Nov 6, 19953.78−2.22Below flood stage453
25Mar 29, 19933.73−2.27Below flood stage443
26Feb 2, 19783.59−2.41Below flood stage—
27Apr 13, 19713.54−2.46Below flood stage—

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MORM4, 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.