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Saginaw River at Saginaw

Highest listed crest 24.90 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft69 crests since 1901

The Saginaw River at Saginaw crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 69 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1901 to 2021. The highest, 24.90 ft on March 30, 1904, was major flooding, 7.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.90 ft
March 30, 1904; 68,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
5
6th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
September 23, 2021
18.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Saginaw County
Near Saginaw (0.3 mi), Bay City (12.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Saginaw River at Saginaw
Action stage16.02Mar 30, 1989The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.019Sep 23, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.042Feb 23, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.05Sep 15, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

69 crests from 1901 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Saginaw River at Saginaw, 1901 to 2021 14161820222426ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Mar 30, 1901: 21.85 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1904: 24.90 ft, major flooding; 68,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1905: 20.65 ft, moderate floodingJan 24, 1907: 20.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 1908: 22.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 1909: 22.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 1910: 19.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 1911: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1912: 24.10 ft, major floodingFeb 27, 1915: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1916: 24.30 ft, major floodingMar 22, 1918: 23.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 20, 1919: 23.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1920: 20.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 26, 1926: 20.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 9, 1928: 20.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1929: 22.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1930: 20.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1942: 21.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 1946: 20.82 ft, moderate floodingApr 8, 1947: 19.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1948: 22.14 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1950: 20.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 1952: 19.65 ft, moderate floodingApr 5, 1959: 19.08 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1960: 20.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1973: 23.35 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1974: 19.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1976: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1976: 21.53 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1976: 23.35 ft, moderate floodingOct 4, 1981: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 16, 1982: 20.69 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1984: 24.05 ft, major floodingMar 17, 1986: 20.27 ft, moderate floodingSep 15, 1986: 24.16 ft, major flooding; 52,800 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1986: 22.82 ft, moderate flooding; 47,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1988: 16.61 ft, action stage; 21,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1989: 16.03 ft, action stage; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1990: 18.93 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1991: 18.61 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1992: 17.38 ft, minor flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1993: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1996: 18.80 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1997: 21.05 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1998: 22.65 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1999: 14.11 ft, below flood stageFeb 12, 2001: 17.59 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2002: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 2004: 19.90 ft, moderate floodingMay 26, 2004: 19.95 ft, moderate flooding; 40,532 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2006: 19.93 ft, moderate flooding; 40,425 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2008: 18.74 ft, minor flooding; 34,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2009: 19.68 ft, moderate flooding; 39,095 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2009: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 31,511 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2009: 19.45 ft, moderate flooding; 37,884 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2011: 20.12 ft, moderate flooding; 41,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2013: 17.59 ft, minor flooding; 28,536 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2013: 22.42 ft, moderate flooding; 58,140 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2014: 17.15 ft, minor flooding; 26,447 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2017: 19.57 ft, moderate flooding; 38,328 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2017: 17.23 ft, minor flooding; 27,864 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2017: 18.69 ft, minor flooding; 38,336 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2018: 20.70 ft, moderate flooding; 47,320 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2018: 17.76 ft, minor flooding; 34,144 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 18.37 ft, minor flooding; 36,901 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2019: 17.35 ft, minor flooding; 32,309 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 18.73 ft, minor flooding; 38,512 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2021: 18.26 ft, minor flooding; 36,395 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.90 ft, Mar 30, 1904 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Saginaw River at Saginaw 1900s: 6 1910s: 7 1920s: 4 1930s: 1 1940s: 4 1950s: 3 1960s: 1 1970s: 5 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 9 2010s: 11 11 2020s: 2 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Saginaw River at Saginaw
1Mar 30, 190424.90+7.90Major68,000
2Mar 31, 191624.30+7.30Major—
3Sep 15, 198624.16+7.16Major52,800
4May 24, 191224.10+7.10Major—
5Mar 29, 198424.05+7.05Major—
6Mar 22, 191823.50+6.50Moderate—
7Apr 14, 197323.35+6.35Moderate—
8Apr 17, 197623.35+6.35Moderate—
9Mar 20, 191923.10+6.10Moderate—
10Oct 3, 198622.82+5.82Moderate47,000
11Mar 19, 199822.65+5.65Moderate—
12May 3, 190922.50+5.50Moderate—
13Apr 21, 201322.42+5.42Moderate58,140
14Apr 10, 192922.40+5.40Moderate—
15Mar 16, 190822.30+5.30Moderate—
16Mar 22, 194822.14+5.14Moderate—
17Mar 30, 190121.85+4.85Moderate—
18Mar 8, 197621.53+4.53Moderate—
19Feb 23, 199721.05+4.05Moderate—
20Mar 18, 194221.00+4.00Moderate—
21Mar 9, 194620.82+3.82Moderate—
22Feb 27, 193020.70+3.70Moderate—
23Feb 23, 201820.70+3.70Moderate47,320
24Mar 16, 198220.69+3.69Moderate—
25Mar 27, 190520.65+3.65Moderate—
26Apr 6, 195020.60+3.60Moderate—
27Apr 3, 196020.60+3.60Moderate—
28Jan 24, 190720.40+3.40Moderate—
29Mar 17, 198620.27+3.27Moderate—
30Mar 18, 192020.20+3.20Moderate—
31Apr 30, 201120.12+3.12Moderate41,600
32Mar 26, 192620.10+3.10Moderate—
33Apr 9, 192820.00+3.00Moderate—
34May 26, 200419.95+2.95Moderate40,532
35Mar 16, 200619.93+2.93Moderate40,425
36Apr 8, 194719.90+2.90Moderate—
37Mar 8, 197419.90+2.90Moderate—
38Mar 8, 200419.90+2.90Moderate—
39Feb 20, 197619.80+2.80Moderate—
40Feb 14, 200919.68+2.68Moderate39,095
41May 15, 195219.65+2.65Moderate—
42Apr 8, 201719.57+2.57Moderate38,328
43Apr 30, 200919.45+2.45Moderate37,884
44Mar 1, 191019.10+2.10Moderate—
45Apr 5, 195919.08+2.08Moderate—
46Feb 27, 191519.00+2.00Moderate—
47Oct 4, 198119.00+2.00Moderate—
48Mar 15, 199018.93+1.93Minor33,900
49May 23, 199618.80+1.80Minor—
50Dec 31, 200818.74+1.74Minor34,220

Other gauges in Saginaw County

Flood gauges in Saginaw County
Frankenmuth17.027.52 ft, Sep 12, 19861
Chesaning15.017.30 ft, Mar 23, 19261

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SAGM4, 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.