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Minnesota River at Savage

Highest listed crest 719.40 ftFlood stage 702.0 ft58 crests since 1951

The Minnesota River at Savage crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 58 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2024. The highest, 719.40 ft on April 15, 1965, was major flooding, 17.40 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Minnesota River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
719.40 ft
April 15, 1965
Flood stage
702.0 ft
Major flooding from 712.0 ft
Crests at major
10
13th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 28, 2024
714.50 ft, major flooding
Location
Dakota County
Near Savage (2.6 mi), Burnsville (2.9 mi), Bloomington (3.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Minnesota River at Savage
Action stage697.014Oct 15, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)702.027May 20, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage710.04Mar 29, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage712.010Jun 28, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

58 crests from 1951 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Minnesota River at Savage, 1951 to 2024 690700710720ft Flood stage 702.0 ftMajor 712.0 ft Apr 15, 1951: 711.70 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1952: 714.20 ft, major floodingJun 29, 1957: 708.40 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 1962: 706.40 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1965: 719.40 ft, major floodingApr 9, 1967: 702.10 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1969: 716.90 ft, major floodingMar 5, 1975: 705.50 ft, minor floodingJul 10, 1983: 702.00 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1984: 703.70 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 1984: 706.80 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1985: 702.50 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 1986: 708.10 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 1986: 702.80 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 1991: 700.30 ft, action stageJun 13, 1991: 702.51 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1992: 701.40 ft, action stageApr 8, 1993: 705.70 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1993: 706.10 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1993: 713.70 ft, major floodingMay 5, 1994: 701.70 ft, action stageApr 28, 1995: 702.70 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1996: 699.20 ft, action stageJun 26, 1996: 700.70 ft, action stageApr 13, 1997: 715.20 ft, major floodingJul 31, 1997: 699.70 ft, action stageApr 8, 1998: 702.70 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1999: 700.70 ft, action stageMay 21, 1999: 701.60 ft, action stageApr 19, 2001: 714.80 ft, major floodingApr 29, 2001: 714.50 ft, major floodingJun 22, 2001: 704.63 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2002: 698.01 ft, action stageJul 1, 2003: 695.20 ft, below flood stageJul 15, 2004: 693.86 ft, below flood stageMay 21, 2005: 698.41 ft, action stageMar 24, 2010: 710.92 ft, moderate floodingJul 4, 2010: 702.08 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2010: 710.88 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 2011: 711.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 2011: 702.37 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2011: 703.39 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2012: 697.36 ft, action stageJun 3, 2012: 701.35 ft, action stageJul 2, 2013: 704.42 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2014: 713.27 ft, major flooding; 85,960 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2017: 701.36 ft, action stageOct 15, 2017: 700.29 ft, action stageMay 1, 2018: 706.60 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 2018: 707.42 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 2019: 712.60 ft, major floodingOct 13, 2019: 703.40 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2020: 705.01 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2021: 695.01 ft, below flood stageMay 24, 2022: 703.32 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 2023: 708.85 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2023: 707.94 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 2024: 714.50 ft, major flooding Highest, 719.40 ft, Apr 15, 1965 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Minnesota River at Savage 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 1 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 3 2010s: 12 12 2020s: 5 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

The 50 highest of 58 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Minnesota River at Savage
1Apr 15, 1965719.40+17.40Major—
2Apr 15, 1969716.90+14.90Major—
3Apr 13, 1997715.20+13.20Major—
4Apr 19, 2001714.80+12.80Major—
5Apr 29, 2001714.50+12.50Major—
6Jun 28, 2024714.50+12.50Major—
7Apr 16, 1952714.20+12.20Major—
8Jun 26, 1993713.70+11.70Major—
9Jun 26, 2014713.27+11.27Major85,960
10Mar 30, 2019712.60+10.60Major—
11Apr 15, 1951711.70+9.70Moderate—
12Mar 29, 2011711.60+9.60Moderate—
13Mar 24, 2010710.92+8.92Moderate—
14Oct 1, 2010710.88+8.88Moderate—
15Apr 26, 2023708.85+6.85Minor—
16Jun 29, 1957708.40+6.40Minor—
17May 6, 1986708.10+6.10Minor—
18May 20, 2023707.94+5.94Minor—
19Jun 30, 2018707.42+5.42Minor—
20Jun 29, 1984706.80+4.80Minor—
21May 1, 2018706.60+4.60Minor—
22Apr 9, 1962706.40+4.40Minor—
23May 17, 1993706.10+4.10Minor—
24Apr 8, 1993705.70+3.70Minor—
25Mar 5, 1975705.50+3.50Minor—
26Apr 6, 2020705.01+3.01Minor—
27Jun 22, 2001704.63+2.63Minor—
28Jul 2, 2013704.42+2.42Minor—
29Apr 8, 1984703.70+1.70Minor—
30Oct 13, 2019703.40+1.40Minor—
31Jun 29, 2011703.39+1.39Minor—
32May 24, 2022703.32+1.32Minor—
33Oct 1, 1986702.80+0.80Minor—
34Apr 28, 1995702.70+0.70Minor—
35Apr 8, 1998702.70+0.70Minor—
36Jun 13, 1991702.51+0.51Minor—
37Mar 24, 1985702.50+0.50Minor—
38Jun 1, 2011702.37+0.37Minor—
39Apr 9, 1967702.10+0.10Minor—
40Jul 4, 2010702.08+0.08Minor—
41Jul 10, 1983702.000.00Minor—
42May 5, 1994701.70−0.30Action—
43May 21, 1999701.60−0.40Action—
44Mar 14, 1992701.40−0.60Action—
45May 30, 2017701.36−0.64Action—
46Jun 3, 2012701.35−0.65Action—
47Jun 26, 1996700.70−1.30Action—
48Apr 20, 1999700.70−1.30Action—
49May 14, 1991700.30−1.70Action—
50Oct 15, 2017700.29−1.71Action—

The worst floods along the Minnesota River

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

April 15, 1965: 719.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Granite FallsMN · Apr 14, 1965 · 892.64 ft · Major
  • HendersonMN · Apr 11, 1965 · 739.65 ft · Major
  • JordanMN · Apr 11, 1965 · 35.07 ft · Major
  • MankatoMN · Apr 10, 1965 · 29.09 ft · Moderate
  • MontevideoMN · Apr 14, 1965 · 16.64 ft · Moderate

April 15, 1969: 716.90 ft here, major flooding

  • Granite FallsMN · Apr 12, 1969 · 896.54 ft · Major
  • New UlmMN · Apr 15, 1969 · 809.44 ft · Major
  • MontevideoMN · Apr 12, 1969 · 21.68 ft · Major
  • HendersonMN · Apr 10, 1969 · 738.17 ft · Moderate
  • JordanMN · Apr 14, 1969 · 32.85 ft · Moderate
  • MankatoMN · Apr 12, 1969 · 27.07 ft · Moderate
  • OrtonvilleMN · Apr 13, 1969 · 12.09 ft · Minor

April 13, 1997: 715.20 ft here, major flooding

  • Big Stone LakeSD · Apr 7, 1997 · 973.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • Granite FallsMN · Apr 7, 1997 · 899.84 ft · Major · its highest
  • New UlmMN · Apr 9, 1997 · 811.03 ft · Major · its highest
  • MontevideoMN · Apr 6, 1997 · 23.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • HendersonMN · Apr 11, 1997 · 737.90 ft · Moderate
  • JordanMN · Apr 12, 1997 · 32.24 ft · Moderate
  • MankatoMN · Apr 10, 1997 · 27.61 ft · Moderate
  • OrtonvilleMN · Apr 10, 1997 · 12.85 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Minnesota River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Minnesota River
Big Stone LakeSD970.0973.90 ft, Apr 7, 19971
Granite FallsMN885.0899.84 ft, Apr 7, 199711
HendersonMN732.0741.77 ft, Jun 26, 20245
JordanMN25.035.12 ft, Jun 28, 20242
MankatoMN22.030.11 ft, Jun 21, 19931
MontevideoMN14.023.90 ft, Apr 6, 199711
New UlmMN800.0811.03 ft, Apr 9, 19976
OrtonvilleMN10.013.02 ft, Apr 12, 20230
Savage this gaugeMN702.0719.40 ft, Apr 15, 196510
MortonMN21.029.25 ft, Apr 15, 20018

Other gauges in Dakota County

Flood gauges in Dakota County
Lock and Dam 2 - Hastings15.025.90 ft, Apr 17, 196512

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SAVM5, 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.