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Shiawassee River at Chesaning

Highest listed crest 17.30 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft22 crests since 1916

The Shiawassee River at Chesaning crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 1993. The highest, 17.30 ft on March 23, 1926, was major flooding, 2.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.30 ft
March 23, 1926
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
1
26th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
October 1, 1981
15.00 ft, minor flooding
Location
Saginaw County
Near Owosso (13.3 mi)
Identifiers
NWS CHSM4
USGS 04144800; out of service

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Shiawassee River at Chesaning
Action stage14.02Sep 6, 1985The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.02Oct 1, 1981Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.01Mar 23, 1926Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1916 to 1993. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Shiawassee River at Chesaning, 1916 to 1993 12141618ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 28, 1916: 15.10 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1926: 17.30 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1948: 13.80 ft, below flood stageApr 4, 1950: 13.00 ft, below flood stageFeb 20, 1951: 12.10 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1956: 13.40 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 1959: 12.80 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 1960: 13.40 ft, below flood stageMar 19, 1962: 12.50 ft, below flood stageMar 27, 1967: 12.50 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 1968: 14.60 ft, action stageMar 15, 1971: 13.00 ft, below flood stageApr 17, 1972: 12.69 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1973: 12.38 ft, below flood stageMay 17, 1974: 12.61 ft, below flood stageApr 23, 1975: 13.05 ft, below flood stageOct 1, 1981: 15.00 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 1985: 14.61 ft, action stageOct 30, 1990: 12.06 ft, below flood stageNov 29, 1990: 12.23 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1991: 12.02 ft, below flood stageJan 5, 1993: 12.15 ft, below flood stage Highest, 17.30 ft, Mar 23, 1926 19201930194019501960197019801990

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Shiawassee River at Chesaning 1910s: 1 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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, Shiawassee River at Chesaning
1Mar 23, 192617.30+2.30Major—
2Mar 28, 191615.10+0.10Minor—
3Oct 1, 198115.000.00Minor—
4Sep 6, 198514.61−0.39Action—
5Feb 3, 196814.60−0.40Action—
6Mar 20, 194813.80−1.20Below flood stage—
7Mar 7, 195613.40−1.60Below flood stage—
8Mar 31, 196013.40−1.60Below flood stage—
9Apr 23, 197513.05−1.95Below flood stage—
10Apr 4, 195013.00−2.00Below flood stage—
11Mar 15, 197113.00−2.00Below flood stage—
12Mar 20, 195912.80−2.20Below flood stage—
13Apr 17, 197212.69−2.31Below flood stage—
14May 17, 197412.61−2.39Below flood stage—
15Mar 19, 196212.50−2.50Below flood stage—
16Mar 27, 196712.50−2.50Below flood stage—
17Apr 11, 197312.38−2.62Below flood stage—
18Nov 29, 199012.23−2.77Below flood stage—
19Jan 5, 199312.15−2.85Below flood stage—
20Feb 20, 195112.10−2.90Below flood stage—
21Oct 30, 199012.06−2.94Below flood stage—
22Apr 25, 199112.02−2.98Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Shiawassee River

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

October 1, 1981: 15.00 ft here, minor flooding

  • OwossoMI · Oct 1, 1981 · 10.30 ft · Major

Gauges on the Shiawassee River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Shiawassee River
OwossoMI7.010.35 ft, Apr 6, 19473
Chesaning this gaugeMI15.017.30 ft, Mar 23, 19261

Other gauges in Saginaw County

Flood gauges in Saginaw County
Frankenmuth17.027.52 ft, Sep 12, 19861
Saginaw17.024.90 ft, Mar 30, 19045

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CHSM4, 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.