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South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin

Highest listed crest 19.90 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft85 crests since 1945

The South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 85 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1945 to 2026. The highest, 19.90 ft on July 2, 1975, was major flooding, 6.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.90 ft
July 2, 1975; 8,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
3
42nd of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
August 10, 2025
15.19 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Moorhead (8.3 mi), Fargo (11.3 mi), West Fargo (14.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin
Action stage12.014Oct 16, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.024Jun 5, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.021Aug 10, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.03Mar 25, 2009Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

85 crests from 1945 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin, 1945 to 2026 5101520ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Mar 18, 1945: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1946: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 955 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1947: 13.82 ft, minor flooding; 1,230 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1948: 14.34 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 1949: 9.08 ft, below flood stage; 324 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1950: 14.15 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1951: 13.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,640 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1952: 15.37 ft, moderate flooding; 3,400 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1953: 15.38 ft, moderate flooding; 3,410 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1954: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 390 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1955: 12.28 ft, action stage; 862 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1956: 15.18 ft, moderate flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1957: 12.53 ft, action stage; 982 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1958: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1959: 11.18 ft, below flood stage; 572 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1960: 12.34 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1961: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 248 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1962: 17.04 ft, moderate flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1963: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 1,420 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1964: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 796 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1965: 16.29 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1966: 16.78 ft, moderate flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1967: 12.95 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1968: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 230 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1969: 18.12 ft, moderate flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1970: 10.70 ft, below flood stage; 432 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1971: 10.59 ft, below flood stageSep 6, 1971: 9.32 ft, below flood stage; 326 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1972: 14.39 ft, minor flooding; 2,140 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1973: 7.85 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 1974: 12.76 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1975: 19.90 ft, major flooding; 8,500 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1976: 11.10 ft, below flood stageJun 3, 1977: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 234 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1978: 16.04 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1979: 15.33 ft, moderate flooding; 2,800 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1980: 12.99 ft, action stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1981: 11.33 ft, below flood stage; 500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1982: 13.12 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1983: 14.03 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1984: 13.94 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1985: 13.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1986: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1987: 11.89 ft, below flood stageMar 9, 1988: 10.64 ft, below flood stage; 175 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1989: 16.30 ft, moderate flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1990: 10.02 ft, below flood stageMay 4, 1991: 10.30 ft, below flood stage; 285 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1992: 10.94 ft, below flood stage; 414 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1993: 14.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,910 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1994: 14.95 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1995: 14.41 ft, minor flooding; 1,770 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1996: 14.60 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1997: 19.11 ft, major floodingMay 17, 1998: 16.14 ft, moderate flooding; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1999: 12.88 ft, action stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2000: 12.95 ft, action stageJun 23, 2000: 12.30 ft, action stage; 645 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2001: 16.67 ft, moderate flooding; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 2002: 12.25 ft, action stage; 905 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2003: 12.95 ft, action stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2004: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2005: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 1,470 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2006: 18.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2007: 12.89 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2008: 13.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2009: 19.08 ft, major flooding; 7,280 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 17.58 ft, moderate flooding; 5,010 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2011: 16.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,600 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2012: 12.40 ft, action stage; 981 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2013: 15.75 ft, moderate flooding; 3,170 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2014: 15.34 ft, moderate flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2015: 11.79 ft, below flood stage; 821 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2016: 11.05 ft, below flood stage; 540 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2017: 13.83 ft, minor flooding; 288 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2018: 11.05 ft, below flood stageMar 31, 2019: 16.79 ft, moderate flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2019: 12.62 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2020: 15.39 ft, moderate flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2021: 10.72 ft, below flood stageMay 13, 2022: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,910 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2023: 17.71 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 2024: 13.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2025: 15.19 ft, moderate flooding; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2026: 10.45 ft, below flood stage Highest, 19.90 ft, Jul 2, 1975 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin 1940s: 4 1950s: 6 6 1960s: 5 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 6 2010s: 6 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 85 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin
1Jul 2, 197519.90+6.90Major8,500
2Apr 6, 199719.11+6.11Major—
3Mar 25, 200919.08+6.08Major7,280
4Apr 1, 200618.29+5.29Moderate6,070
5Apr 10, 196918.12+5.12Moderate6,410
6Apr 14, 202317.71+4.71Moderate—
7Mar 15, 201017.58+4.58Moderate5,010
8Jun 9, 196217.04+4.04Moderate6,340
9Mar 31, 201916.79+3.79Moderate4,210
10Mar 15, 196616.78+3.78Moderate3,310
11Apr 9, 200116.67+3.67Moderate4,030
12Apr 4, 198916.30+3.30Moderate3,800
13Apr 8, 196516.29+3.29Moderate—
14Apr 4, 201116.20+3.20Moderate3,600
15May 17, 199816.14+3.14Moderate3,180
16Mar 29, 197816.04+3.04Moderate—
17Jun 27, 201315.75+2.75Moderate3,170
18Mar 30, 202015.39+2.39Moderate2,860
19May 31, 195315.38+2.38Moderate3,410
20Apr 8, 195215.37+2.37Moderate3,400
21Jun 21, 201415.34+2.34Moderate2,860
22Apr 14, 197915.33+2.33Moderate2,800
23Aug 10, 202515.19+2.19Moderate1,940
24Apr 5, 195615.18+2.18Moderate2,410
25Mar 22, 199414.95+1.95Minor—
26Mar 25, 198614.86+1.86Minor2,550
27Mar 18, 194514.69+1.69Minor1,480
28Jul 7, 195814.60+1.60Minor1,520
29Mar 18, 199614.60+1.60Minor—
30Mar 30, 199314.57+1.57Minor1,910
31Mar 15, 199514.41+1.41Minor1,770
32Mar 17, 197214.39+1.39Minor2,140
33Mar 29, 194814.34+1.34Minor—
34May 13, 202214.30+1.30Minor1,910
35Mar 29, 195014.15+1.15Minor—
36Jul 5, 198314.03+1.03Minor1,500
37Mar 18, 194614.00+1.00Minor955
38Mar 26, 198413.94+0.94Minor2,090
39Jun 8, 200813.90+0.90Minor1,650
40Feb 23, 201713.83+0.83Minor288
41Apr 12, 194713.82+0.82Minor1,230
42Jun 2, 198513.69+0.69Minor1,660
43Jun 5, 202413.63+0.63Minor1,460
44Jun 16, 200513.60+0.60Minor1,470
45Apr 6, 195113.39+0.39Minor1,640
46Jun 4, 196313.20+0.20Minor1,420
47Apr 1, 198213.12+0.12Minor1,350
48Jun 2, 200413.08+0.08Minor1,140
49Apr 2, 198012.99−0.01Action1,260
50Mar 27, 196712.95−0.05Action1,240

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Dilworth13.027.10 ft, Jul 2, 19752
Hawley8.011.30 ft, Jan 1, 19211
Hickson30.039.04 ft, Mar 26, 20091

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SABM5, 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.