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South Branch Root River at Lanesboro

Highest listed crest 19.20 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft39 crests since 1942

The South Branch Root River at Lanesboro crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2020. The highest, 19.20 ft on March 26, 1950, was major flooding, 7.20 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the South Branch Root River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.20 ft
March 26, 1950; 22,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
1
65th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 23, 2013
13.75 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fillmore County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Root River at Lanesboro
Action stage10.08Mar 14, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.08Jun 23, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.01Jun 29, 1942Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.01Mar 26, 1950Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1942 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Root River at Lanesboro, 1942 to 2020 05101520ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jun 29, 1942: 17.23 ft, moderate floodingMar 26, 1950: 19.20 ft, major flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1952: 12.20 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1961: 13.73 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1974: 11.08 ft, action stage; 5,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1976: 13.42 ft, minor flooding; 7,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1977: 5.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1978: 10.45 ft, action stage; 5,100 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1979: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 5,250 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1980: 11.95 ft, action stage; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1982: 7.29 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondSep 20, 1983: 8.46 ft, below flood stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 10.24 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1985: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 3,550 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1986: 8.30 ft, below flood stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1993: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJul 20, 1999: 9.48 ft, below flood stageJun 1, 2000: 13.21 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 2000: 11.87 ft, action stageApr 8, 2001: 11.58 ft, action stageJun 11, 2002: 6.89 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 2003: 3.63 ft, below flood stageJun 17, 2004: 9.99 ft, below flood stageMar 28, 2005: 9.37 ft, below flood stageApr 8, 2006: 7.42 ft, below flood stageMar 14, 2007: 9.81 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 2008: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 6.20 ft, below flood stageSep 24, 2010: 9.69 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 2011: 8.89 ft, below flood stageFeb 29, 2012: 5.41 ft, below flood stageJun 23, 2013: 13.75 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2014: 6.65 ft, below flood stageMar 10, 2015: 5.18 ft, below flood stageSep 22, 2016: 10.70 ft, action stageFeb 21, 2017: 7.96 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 2018: 9.31 ft, below flood stageMar 14, 2019: 11.86 ft, action stageMar 9, 2020: 5.86 ft, below flood stage Highest, 19.20 ft, Mar 26, 1950 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Root River at Lanesboro 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 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

Highest listed crests, South Branch Root River at Lanesboro
1Mar 26, 195019.20+7.20Major22,100
2Jun 29, 194217.23+5.23Moderate—
3Jun 9, 200814.17+2.17Minor11,100
4Jun 23, 201313.75+1.75Minor10,800
5Mar 26, 196113.73+1.73Minor—
6Mar 12, 197613.42+1.42Minor7,000
7Jun 1, 200013.21+1.21Minor—
8Mar 31, 195212.20+0.20Minor—
9Mar 30, 197912.05+0.05Minor5,250
10Apr 1, 199312.000.00Minor—
11May 30, 198011.95−0.05Action7,100
12Jul 11, 200011.87−0.13Action—
13Mar 14, 201911.86−0.14Action—
14Apr 8, 200111.58−0.42Action—
15Jun 21, 197411.08−0.92Action5,900
16Sep 22, 201610.70−1.30Action—
17Jul 7, 197810.45−1.55Action5,100
18Jun 17, 198410.24−1.76Action4,900
19Jun 17, 20049.99−2.01Below flood stage—
20Mar 14, 20079.81−2.19Below flood stage—
21Sep 24, 20109.69−2.31Below flood stage—
22Jul 20, 19999.48−2.52Below flood stage—
23Mar 28, 20059.37−2.63Below flood stage—
24Jun 10, 20189.31−2.69Below flood stage—
25Mar 11, 19858.93−3.07Below flood stage3,550
26Mar 23, 20118.89−3.11Below flood stage—
27Sep 20, 19838.46−3.54Below flood stage3,150
28Sep 23, 19868.30−3.70Below flood stage3,000
29Feb 21, 20177.96−4.04Below flood stage—
30Apr 8, 20067.42−4.58Below flood stage—
31May 6, 19827.29−4.71Below flood stage2,200
32Jun 11, 20026.89−5.11Below flood stage—
33Jun 27, 20146.65−5.35Below flood stage—
34Feb 11, 20096.20−5.80Below flood stage—
35Mar 9, 20205.86−6.14Below flood stage—
36Mar 11, 19775.85−6.15Below flood stage1,180
37Feb 29, 20125.41−6.59Below flood stage—
38Mar 10, 20155.18−6.82Below flood stage—
39May 12, 20033.63−8.37Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the South Branch Root River

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

March 26, 1950: 19.20 ft here, major flooding

  • PrestonMN · Mar 26, 1950 · 942.40 ft · Major · its highest

June 9, 2008: 14.17 ft here, minor flooding

  • PrestonMN · Jun 9, 2008 · 941.67 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the South Branch Root River

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

Flood gauges on the South Branch Root River
CarimonaMN19.021.10 ft, May 20, 20130
Lanesboro this gaugeMN12.019.20 ft, Mar 26, 19501
PrestonMN937.0942.40 ft, Mar 26, 19502

Other gauges in Fillmore County

Flood gauges in Fillmore County
Fillmore1,004.01,007.50 ft, Jul 3, 20260
Rushford21.028.98 ft, Aug 19, 20078
Pilot Mound19.025.90 ft, Jun 1, 20001
Carimona19.021.10 ft, May 20, 20130
Preston937.0942.40 ft, Mar 26, 19502

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LNSM5, 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.