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St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville

Highest listed crest 10.76 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft29 crests since 1950

The St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2023. The highest, 10.76 ft on April 27, 1950, was major flooding, 2.76 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.76 ft
April 27, 1950; 10,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
3
11th of 98 gauges in Michigan
Most recent flood crest
May 20, 2020
8.62 ft, minor flooding
Location
St. Joseph County
Near Elkhart (13.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville
Action stage7.04Mar 24, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.05May 20, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.02Feb 28, 1985Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.03Feb 24, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1950 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville, 1950 to 2023 4681012ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Apr 27, 1950: 10.76 ft, major flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1969: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1976: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 7,320 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1982: 9.81 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1985: 9.57 ft, moderate flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1989: 10.41 ft, major flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1998: 7.07 ft, action stage; 5,530 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2000: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2002: 6.98 ft, below flood stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2003: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2004: 6.46 ft, below flood stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2005: 7.16 ft, action stage; 5,880 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2006: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2007: 6.26 ft, below flood stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2008: 8.59 ft, minor flooding; 8,110 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2009: 8.58 ft, minor flooding; 8,190 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2010: 5.78 ft, below flood stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2011: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,310 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2013: 7.61 ft, action stage; 6,530 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2014: 7.15 ft, action stage; 5,850 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2015: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 4,850 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2016: 6.08 ft, below flood stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2017: 6.92 ft, below flood stage; 5,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2018: 10.17 ft, major flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2019: 6.86 ft, below flood stage; 5,440 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 8.62 ft, minor flooding; 8,140 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2021: 6.11 ft, below flood stage; 4,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2022: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 4,860 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2023: 6.67 ft, below flood stage; 5,170 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.76 ft, Apr 27, 1950 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, St. Joseph River (MI/IN) at Mottville
1Apr 27, 195010.76+2.76Major10,700
2Jun 4, 198910.41+2.41Major11,400
3Feb 24, 201810.17+2.17Major10,900
4Mar 21, 19829.81+1.81Moderate10,100
5Feb 28, 19859.57+1.57Moderate9,680
6May 20, 20208.62+0.62Minor8,140
7Jan 12, 20088.59+0.59Minor8,110
8Mar 13, 20098.58+0.58Minor8,190
9Mar 8, 19768.28+0.28Minor7,320
10Feb 1, 19698.000.00Minor6,500
11Apr 23, 20137.61−0.39Action6,530
12Feb 19, 20057.16−0.84Action5,880
13Mar 24, 20147.15−0.85Action5,850
14Jan 12, 19987.07−0.93Action5,530
15May 15, 20026.98−1.02Below flood stage5,130
16Apr 11, 20176.92−1.08Below flood stage5,520
17May 10, 20196.86−1.14Below flood stage5,440
18Jun 1, 20116.76−1.24Below flood stage5,310
19Apr 5, 20236.67−1.33Below flood stage5,170
20Jun 18, 20046.46−1.54Below flood stage4,610
21Feb 22, 20226.44−1.56Below flood stage4,860
22Jun 18, 20156.43−1.57Below flood stage4,850
23Jan 8, 20076.26−1.74Below flood stage4,640
24Jun 30, 20216.11−1.89Below flood stage4,430
25Aug 17, 20166.08−1.92Below flood stage4,260
26Jun 28, 20005.97−2.03Below flood stage4,270
27May 26, 20105.78−2.22Below flood stage4,030
28Mar 16, 20065.54−2.46Below flood stage3,740
29Apr 8, 20035.02−2.98Below flood stage3,250

The worst floods along the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN) that crested above flood stage within a week.

April 27, 1950: 10.76 ft here, major flooding

June 4, 1989: 10.41 ft here, major flooding

  • Three RiversMI · Jun 3, 1989 · 11.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • NilesMI · Jun 4, 1989 · 13.30 ft · Minor

February 24, 2018: 10.17 ft here, major flooding

  • NilesMI · Feb 22, 2018 · 17.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • South BendIN · Feb 22, 2018 · 12.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • Three RiversMI · Feb 24, 2018 · 11.37 ft · Major
  • BurlingtonMI · Feb 22, 2018 · 6.93 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)

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

Flood gauges on the St. Joseph River (MI/IN)
BurlingtonMI6.56.93 ft, Feb 22, 20180
Three RiversMI7.011.80 ft, Jun 3, 19892
Mottville this gaugeMI8.010.76 ft, Apr 27, 19503
ElkhartIN24.030.00 ft, Mar 8, 19081
South BendIN5.512.70 ft, Feb 22, 20186
NilesMI11.017.33 ft, Feb 22, 20182

Other gauges in St. Joseph County

Flood gauges in St. Joseph County
Three Rivers7.011.80 ft, Jun 3, 19892

St. Joseph County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Michigan

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MOTM4, 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.