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Rifle River near Sterling

Highest listed crest 11.64 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft7 crests since 2013

The Rifle River near Sterling crested above flood stage 5 times among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2013 to 2026. The highest, 11.64 ft on April 14, 2026, was moderate flooding, 5.64 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.64 ft
April 14, 2026; 4,229 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
0
5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 14, 2026
11.64 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Arenac County
Michigan

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rifle River near Sterling
Action stage5.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.04Apr 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.01Apr 14, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

7 crests from 2013 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rifle River near Sterling, 2013 to 2026 468101214ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Apr 11, 2013: 7.73 ft, minor flooding; 2,398 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2021: 4.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2022: 7.74 ft, minor flooding; 2,320 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2023: 6.75 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2024: 4.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2025: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,002 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2026: 11.64 ft, moderate flooding; 4,229 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.64 ft, Apr 14, 2026 201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rifle River near Sterling 2010s: 1 2020s: 4 4 2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 93 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 7.60 ft on Apr 27, 1937; 7.70 ft on Mar 21, 1938; 12.07 ft on Mar 25, 1939; 10.65 ft on Mar 31, 1940; 6.58 ft on Apr 3, 1941; 8.76 ft on Mar 18, 1942; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Rifle River near Sterling
1Apr 14, 202611.64+5.64Moderate4,229
2Apr 1, 20259.15+3.15Minor3,002
3Mar 24, 20227.74+1.74Minor2,320
4Apr 11, 20137.73+1.73Minor2,398
5Apr 6, 20236.75+0.75Minor1,930
6Mar 12, 20214.72−1.28Below flood stage1,090
7Mar 9, 20244.54−1.46Below flood stage1,060

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STRM4, 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.