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Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm

Highest listed crest 20.86 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft69 crests since 1947

The Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm crested at major flood stage 14 times among the 69 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2024. The highest, 20.86 ft on April 8, 1965, was major flooding, 9.86 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.86 ft
April 8, 1965; 26,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
14
6th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2024
19.72 ft, major flooding
Location
Brown County
Near New Ulm (2.2 mi)

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) at New Ulm
Action stage9.05May 16, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.023Apr 14, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.023Sep 15, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.014Jun 24, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

69 crests from 1947 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm, 1947 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jul 9, 1947: 16.94 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1948: 15.25 ft, moderate flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1949: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 7,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1951: 15.44 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1952: 14.30 ft, moderate flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1957: 11.81 ft, minor flooding; 5,380 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 12.16 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 15.88 ft, moderate flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1965: 20.86 ft, major flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 13.56 ft, moderate floodingSep 23, 1968: 11.98 ft, minor flooding; 4,550 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1969: 19.15 ft, major flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1971: 14.43 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1978: 11.98 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1979: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1980: 14.62 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 1983: 15.36 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1983: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 25, 1984: 15.24 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1985: 13.26 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1986: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 1986: 14.48 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1991: 11.99 ft, minor flooding; 5,440 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 11.80 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1993: 16.40 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1993: 18.90 ft, major flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1993: 14.20 ft, moderate floodingMar 7, 1994: 11.00 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1994: 11.30 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1995: 11.30 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1996: 13.18 ft, moderate flooding; 6,580 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1997: 16.03 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1997: 12.10 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1998: 12.45 ft, minor flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2001: 18.18 ft, major flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2002: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 5,390 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2003: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 12.44 ft, minor flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2005: 9.10 ft, action stage; 2,840 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2006: 12.16 ft, minor flooding; 6,050 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 13.94 ft, moderate flooding; 8,850 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 2007: 9.03 ft, action stage; 2,940 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2009: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2010: 15.56 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2010: 11.99 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 2010: 18.95 ft, major flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2011: 17.15 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2011: 11.85 ft, minor flooding; 5,371 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2011: 15.28 ft, moderate flooding; 11,206 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2011: 12.50 ft, minor flooding; 6,304 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 10.55 ft, action stage; 4,097 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2012: 11.43 ft, minor flooding; 4,884 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2013: 9.85 ft, action stage; 3,503 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2015: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2016: 13.18 ft, moderate flooding; 7,420 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2017: 11.61 ft, minor flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 15.16 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2018: 19.64 ft, major flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2019: 17.92 ft, major flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 15.02 ft, moderate flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 2019: 14.11 ft, moderate flooding; 8,540 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2020: 17.54 ft, major floodingMar 30, 2020: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 5,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2022: 10.19 ft, action stage; 3,870 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2023: 12.56 ft, minor flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2023: 17.22 ft, major flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 19.72 ft, major flooding; 20,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.86 ft, Apr 8, 1965 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 3 1980s: 7 1990s: 12 2000s: 5 2010s: 16 16 2020s: 5 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm
1Apr 8, 196520.86+9.86Major26,000
2Jun 24, 202419.72+8.72Major20,600
3Jul 6, 201819.64+8.64Major20,200
4Apr 10, 196919.15+8.15Major28,700
5Sep 26, 201018.95+7.95Major19,600
6Jun 19, 199318.90+7.90Major24,300
7Apr 25, 200118.18+7.18Major20,200
8Mar 24, 201917.92+6.92Major15,700
9Mar 4, 202017.54+6.54Major—
10May 16, 202317.22+6.22Major14,100
11Mar 24, 201117.15+6.15Major15,100
12Jul 9, 194716.94+5.94Major13,800
13May 10, 199316.40+5.40Major—
14Mar 30, 199716.03+5.03Major13,800
15Mar 30, 196215.88+4.88Moderate14,200
16Mar 20, 201015.56+4.56Moderate12,600
17Apr 7, 195115.44+4.44Moderate11,500
18May 9, 198315.36+4.36Moderate12,500
19Jun 17, 201115.28+4.28Moderate11,206
20Mar 21, 194815.25+4.25Moderate6,140
21Jun 25, 198415.24+4.24Moderate11,000
22Apr 25, 201815.16+4.16Moderate10,200
23Apr 19, 201915.02+4.02Moderate9,840
24Mar 19, 198014.62+3.62Moderate—
25May 1, 198614.48+3.48Moderate10,100
26Mar 15, 197114.43+3.43Moderate—
27Apr 5, 195214.30+3.30Moderate10,500
28Jul 6, 199314.20+3.20Moderate—
29Sep 15, 201914.11+3.11Moderate8,540
30Jun 20, 201414.10+3.10Moderate9,000
31Mar 14, 200713.94+2.94Moderate8,850
32May 16, 198313.60+2.60Moderate—
33Feb 10, 196613.56+2.56Moderate—
34Mar 24, 198613.40+2.40Moderate—
35Mar 16, 198513.26+2.26Moderate—
36Jun 19, 199613.18+2.18Moderate6,580
37Jul 20, 201613.18+2.18Moderate7,420
38Apr 1, 197912.90+1.90Minor5,970
39Apr 8, 194912.57+1.57Minor7,000
40Apr 14, 202312.56+1.56Minor6,410
41Jun 24, 201112.50+1.50Minor6,304
42Apr 2, 199812.45+1.45Minor6,000
43Jun 1, 200412.44+1.44Minor6,410
44Mar 30, 196012.16+1.16Minor1,300
45Apr 4, 200612.16+1.16Minor6,050
46Jul 27, 199712.10+1.10Minor—
47Jun 23, 199111.99+0.99Minor5,440
48Jun 29, 201011.99+0.99Minor—
49Sep 23, 196811.98+0.98Minor4,550
50Mar 19, 197811.98+0.98Minor—

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.

June 24, 2024: 19.72 ft here, major flooding

July 6, 2018: 19.64 ft here, major flooding

April 10, 1969: 19.15 ft here, major flooding

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)
SpringfieldMN24.032.89 ft, Sep 24, 20103
New Ulm this gaugeMN11.020.86 ft, Apr 8, 196514

Other gauges in Brown County

Flood gauges in Brown County
Springfield24.032.89 ft, Sep 24, 20103
New Ulm800.0811.03 ft, Apr 9, 19976

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NWUM5, 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.