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Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth

Highest listed crest 27.10 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft99 crests since 1931

The Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 99 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1931 to 2026. The highest, 27.10 ft on July 2, 1975, was major flooding, 14.10 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Buffalo River (MN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.10 ft
July 2, 1975; 13,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
2
51st of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
August 13, 2025
15.71 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Moorhead (7.9 mi), Fargo (10.4 mi), West Fargo (13.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth
Action stage12.05Apr 3, 1990The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.041Aug 13, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.023Apr 16, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.02Apr 6, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

99 crests from 1931 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth, 1931 to 2026 0102030ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Apr 5, 1931: 3.92 ft, below flood stageApr 12, 1932: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 311 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1933: 9.02 ft, below flood stage; 269 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1934: 9.02 ft, below flood stage; 374 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1935: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 311 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1936: 14.59 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1937: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 390 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1938: 9.22 ft, below flood stageMay 5, 1938: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 550 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1939: 15.77 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1940: 10.29 ft, below flood stage; 510 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1941: 12.71 ft, action stage; 800 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1942: 10.94 ft, below flood stage; 762 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1943: 22.60 ft, moderate flooding; 4,530 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1944: 12.81 ft, action stage; 998 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1945: 19.38 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1946: 17.61 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1947: 20.26 ft, moderate flooding; 3,380 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1948: 16.00 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1949: 11.17 ft, below flood stage; 602 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1950: 19.75 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1951: 17.47 ft, minor flooding; 2,230 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1952: 21.24 ft, moderate flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1953: 18.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1954: 12.08 ft, action stageApr 4, 1955: 14.85 ft, minor flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1956: 18.54 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1956: 18.37 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1957: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1958: 15.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,540 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1959: 11.81 ft, below flood stage; 699 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1960: 15.88 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1961: 9.90 ft, below flood stage; 480 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1962: 23.56 ft, moderate flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1963: 14.76 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1964: 16.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,740 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1965: 23.37 ft, moderate flooding; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1966: 23.31 ft, moderate flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1967: 16.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,820 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1968: 8.92 ft, below flood stage; 406 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1969: 25.55 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1970: 12.85 ft, action stage; 802 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1971: 10.90 ft, below flood stageMar 19, 1972: 19.36 ft, minor flooding; 2,590 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1973: 8.57 ft, below flood stageApr 14, 1974: 17.97 ft, minor flooding; 2,130 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1975: 27.10 ft, major flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1976: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 1,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1977: 5.99 ft, below flood stage; 163 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1978: 22.76 ft, moderate flooding; 5,420 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1979: 21.60 ft, moderate flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1980: 16.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,850 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1981: 13.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,090 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1982: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1983: 16.75 ft, minor flooding; 1,990 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1984: 19.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,940 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1985: 15.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1986: 20.50 ft, moderate flooding; 3,440 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1987: 13.19 ft, minor flooding; 954 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1988: 11.09 ft, below flood stageApr 6, 1989: 22.80 ft, moderate flooding; 5,380 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1990: 12.40 ft, action stage; 600 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1991: 10.66 ft, below flood stage; 576 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1992: 10.82 ft, below flood stageJun 22, 1992: 9.95 ft, below flood stage; 492 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1993: 22.88 ft, moderate flooding; 3,450 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1994: 20.82 ft, moderate flooding; 3,270 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1995: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,110 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1996: 19.42 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1997: 27.02 ft, major flooding; 8,370 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1998: 21.77 ft, moderate flooding; 4,770 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1999: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,640 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2000: 21.67 ft, moderate flooding; 3,560 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2001: 23.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2002: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2003: 13.45 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2004: 14.52 ft, minor flooding; 1,590 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2005: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 1,960 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2006: 24.11 ft, moderate flooding; 9,210 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2007: 16.81 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 2008: 17.05 ft, minor flooding; 2,150 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2009: 25.86 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2011: 22.89 ft, moderate flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2012: 10.84 ft, below flood stage; 888 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2013: 20.10 ft, moderate flooding; 3,430 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2014: 19.82 ft, minor flooding; 3,290 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2015: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2016: 11.20 ft, below flood stage; 963 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 9.90 ft, below flood stage; 759 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2018: 10.72 ft, below flood stageApr 3, 2019: 23.08 ft, moderate floodingOct 19, 2019: 14.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,670 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2020: 22.05 ft, moderate flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2021: 10.29 ft, below flood stageMay 15, 2022: 18.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2023: 24.43 ft, moderate flooding; 5,450 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2024: 14.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,640 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2025: 15.71 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2026: 10.04 ft, below flood stage Highest, 27.10 ft, Jul 2, 1975 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth 1930s: 2 1940s: 5 1950s: 9 1960s: 8 1970s: 6 1980s: 9 1990s: 7 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 5 2020s: 5 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 99 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Buffalo River (MN) near Dilworth
1Jul 2, 197527.10+14.10Major13,600
2Apr 6, 199727.02+14.02Major8,370
3Mar 25, 200925.86+12.86Moderate11,400
4Apr 11, 196925.55+12.55Moderate10,400
5Apr 16, 202324.43+11.43Moderate5,450
6Apr 1, 200624.11+11.11Moderate9,210
7Jun 11, 196223.56+10.56Moderate6,140
8Apr 11, 196523.37+10.37Moderate5,960
9Mar 18, 196623.31+10.31Moderate5,000
10Apr 10, 200123.29+10.29Moderate6,590
11Apr 3, 201923.08+10.08Moderate—
12Apr 6, 201122.89+9.89Moderate5,750
13Jul 20, 199322.88+9.88Moderate3,450
14Apr 6, 198922.80+9.80Moderate5,380
15Mar 31, 197822.76+9.76Moderate5,420
16Apr 2, 194322.60+9.60Moderate4,530
17Mar 31, 202022.05+9.05Moderate4,810
18May 19, 199821.77+8.77Moderate4,770
19Jun 23, 200021.67+8.67Moderate3,560
20Apr 16, 197921.60+8.60Moderate4,380
21Apr 10, 195221.24+8.24Moderate4,310
22Mar 24, 199420.82+7.82Moderate3,270
23Mar 28, 198620.50+7.50Moderate3,440
24Apr 13, 194720.26+7.26Moderate3,380
25Apr 29, 201320.10+7.10Moderate3,430
26Jun 23, 201419.82+6.82Minor3,290
27Apr 2, 195019.75+6.75Minor—
28Apr 12, 199619.42+6.42Minor—
29Mar 20, 194519.38+6.38Minor2,660
30Mar 19, 197219.36+6.36Minor2,590
31Mar 29, 198419.27+6.27Minor2,940
32Apr 8, 195618.54+5.54Minor—
33Mar 19, 199518.50+5.50Minor2,110
34May 15, 202218.49+5.49Minor2,700
35Jun 20, 195318.43+5.43Minor2,430
36Apr 12, 195618.37+5.37Minor2,410
37Apr 14, 197417.97+4.97Minor2,130
38Apr 2, 198217.80+4.80Minor2,210
39Mar 21, 194617.61+4.61Minor—
40Apr 7, 195117.47+4.47Minor2,230
41Jun 12, 200817.05+4.05Minor2,150
42Jun 20, 200716.81+3.81Minor—
43Apr 4, 198016.78+3.78Minor1,850
44Jul 9, 198316.75+3.75Minor1,990
45Mar 30, 196716.68+3.68Minor1,820
46Apr 22, 196416.40+3.40Minor1,740
47Jun 18, 200516.24+3.24Minor1,960
48Apr 2, 194816.00+3.00Minor—
49Apr 9, 196015.88+2.88Minor—
50Mar 29, 193915.77+2.77Minor1,350

The worst floods along the Buffalo River (MN)

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

July 2, 1975: 27.10 ft here, major flooding

  • HawleyMN · Jul 1, 1975 · 9.76 ft · Moderate

April 6, 1997: 27.02 ft here, major flooding

  • HawleyMN · Apr 6, 1997 · 10.77 ft · Moderate

March 25, 2009: 25.86 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HawleyMN · Mar 25, 2009 · 10.60 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Buffalo River (MN)

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

Flood gauges on the Buffalo River (MN)
HawleyMN8.011.30 ft, Jan 1, 19211
Dilworth this gaugeMN13.027.10 ft, Jul 2, 19752

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Hawley8.011.30 ft, Jan 1, 19211
Hickson30.039.04 ft, Mar 26, 20091
Sabin13.019.90 ft, Jul 2, 19753

Clay County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DILM5, 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.