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Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield

Highest listed crest 32.89 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft48 crests since 1969

The Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 48 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2025. The highest, 32.89 ft on September 24, 2010, was major flooding, 8.89 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Cottonwood River (MN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
32.89 ft
September 24, 2010; 12,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
3
42nd of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
August 19, 2025
25.89 ft, minor flooding
Location
Brown County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield
Action stage21.011May 15, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.010Aug 19, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.012Jun 23, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.03Jul 4, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

48 crests from 1969 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield, 1969 to 2025 1520253035ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Apr 8, 1969: 31.55 ft, moderate flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1973: 20.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1975: 21.11 ft, action stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1976: 20.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1977: 21.28 ft, action stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1978: 22.52 ft, action stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1979: 26.62 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1980: 20.76 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1982: 19.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1983: 28.79 ft, moderate flooding; 7,900 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1984: 29.12 ft, moderate flooding; 8,500 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1985: 26.62 ft, minor flooding; 5,500 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1986: 26.82 ft, minor flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1987: 20.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,250 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1988: 19.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1989: 23.86 ft, action stage; 4,020 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1990: 16.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1991: 23.72 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1992: 21.52 ft, action stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1993: 31.40 ft, moderate flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1994: 23.95 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1995: 23.84 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 25.77 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1997: 28.77 ft, moderate flooding; 7,860 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2001: 32.70 ft, major floodingJun 4, 2002: 18.16 ft, below flood stageMar 21, 2003: 18.64 ft, below flood stageJun 1, 2004: 25.05 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2005: 18.71 ft, below flood stageMar 13, 2007: 26.45 ft, minor flooding; 5,414 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 32.89 ft, major flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2011: 30.06 ft, moderate flooding; 9,480 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2013: 19.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,895 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2014: 25.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,830 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2016: 28.01 ft, moderate flooding; 6,671 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2017: 23.58 ft, action stage; 3,457 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2017: 24.87 ft, minor flooding; 4,224 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 29.58 ft, moderate flooding; 9,388 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2018: 32.81 ft, major flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2019: 29.49 ft, moderate flooding; 9,050 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 28.20 ft, moderate flooding; 7,474 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 23.62 ft, action stageMar 25, 2021: 17.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2022: 23.00 ft, action stage; 3,030 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2023: 24.24 ft, minor flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2023: 28.22 ft, moderate flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 30.91 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2025: 25.89 ft, minor flooding Highest, 32.89 ft, Sep 24, 2010 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 4 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield
1Sep 24, 201032.89+8.89Major12,100
2Jul 4, 201832.81+8.81Major17,600
3Apr 24, 200132.70+8.70Major—
4Apr 8, 196931.55+7.55Moderate18,300
5Jun 18, 199331.40+7.40Moderate14,500
6Jun 23, 202430.91+6.91Moderate11,600
7Mar 23, 201130.06+6.06Moderate9,480
8Jun 22, 201829.58+5.58Moderate9,388
9Mar 23, 201929.49+5.49Moderate9,050
10Jun 25, 198429.12+5.12Moderate8,500
11May 8, 198328.79+4.79Moderate7,900
12Mar 29, 199728.77+4.77Moderate7,860
13May 16, 202328.22+4.22Moderate6,850
14Sep 14, 201928.20+4.20Moderate7,474
15Jul 18, 201628.01+4.01Moderate6,671
16Sep 22, 198626.82+2.82Minor8,200
17Mar 31, 197926.62+2.62Minor6,420
18Mar 14, 198526.62+2.62Minor5,500
19Mar 13, 200726.45+2.45Minor5,414
20Aug 19, 202525.89+1.89Minor—
21Jun 18, 199625.77+1.77Minor4,600
22Jun 19, 201425.70+1.70Minor4,830
23Jun 1, 200425.05+1.05Minor—
24Oct 4, 201724.87+0.87Minor4,224
25Apr 13, 202324.24+0.24Minor3,600
26Apr 26, 199423.95−0.05Action3,400
27Mar 26, 198923.86−0.14Action4,020
28Apr 19, 199523.84−0.16Action3,400
29Jun 21, 199123.72−0.28Action3,400
30Mar 30, 202023.62−0.38Action—
31May 22, 201723.58−0.42Action3,457
32May 15, 202223.00−1.00Action3,030
33Mar 22, 197822.52−1.48Action1,920
34Mar 7, 199221.52−2.48Action2,450
35Mar 12, 197721.28−2.72Action2,260
36Apr 23, 197521.11−2.89Action3,050
37Nov 1, 198020.76−3.24Below flood stage3,160
38Mar 27, 198720.75−3.25Below flood stage2,250
39Mar 20, 197620.20−3.80Below flood stage1,320
40Mar 3, 197320.05−3.95Below flood stage1,940
41Jun 25, 201319.93−4.07Below flood stage1,895
42Mar 14, 198819.70−4.30Below flood stage1,800
43Apr 2, 198219.43−4.57Below flood stage1,400
44May 19, 200518.71−5.29Below flood stage—
45Mar 21, 200318.64−5.36Below flood stage—
46Jun 4, 200218.16−5.84Below flood stage—
47Mar 25, 202117.33−6.67Below flood stage1,090
48Jun 18, 199016.49−7.51Below flood stage1,070

The worst floods along the Cottonwood River (MN)

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

September 24, 2010: 32.89 ft here, major flooding

  • New UlmMN · Sep 26, 2010 · 18.95 ft · Major

July 4, 2018: 32.81 ft here, major flooding

  • New UlmMN · Jul 6, 2018 · 19.64 ft · Major

April 24, 2001: 32.70 ft here, major flooding

  • New UlmMN · Apr 25, 2001 · 18.18 ft · Major

Gauges on the Cottonwood River (MN)

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

Flood gauges on the Cottonwood River (MN)
Springfield this gaugeMN24.032.89 ft, Sep 24, 20103
New UlmMN11.020.86 ft, Apr 8, 196514

Other gauges in Brown County

Flood gauges in Brown County
New Ulm11.020.86 ft, Apr 8, 196514
New Ulm800.0811.03 ft, Apr 9, 19976

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPFM5, 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.