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South Fork Crow River at Delano

Highest listed crest 23.25 ftFlood stage 16.5 ft57 crests since 1965

The South Fork Crow River at Delano crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 57 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2024. The highest, 23.25 ft on April 14, 1965, was major flooding, 6.75 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the South Fork Crow River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.25 ft
April 14, 1965
Flood stage
16.5 ft
Major flooding from 18.5 ft
Crests at major
15
5th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2024
19.44 ft, major flooding
Location
Wright County
Near Buffalo (10.2 mi), St. Michael (11.9 mi), Victoria (13.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS DELM5
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Fork Crow River at Delano
Action stage14.020May 8, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.511Mar 13, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.54Oct 11, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.515Jun 24, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

57 crests from 1965 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Crow River at Delano, 1965 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 16.5 ftMajor 18.5 ft Apr 14, 1965: 23.25 ft, major floodingMar 16, 1966: 14.05 ft, action stageOct 25, 1968: 14.15 ft, action stageApr 12, 1969: 20.45 ft, major floodingMar 30, 1971: 14.75 ft, action stageMar 23, 1972: 16.65 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 1975: 17.55 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1984: 15.90 ft, action stageFeb 21, 1985: 16.55 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 1986: 17.05 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 1986: 13.75 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 1990: 15.35 ft, action stageJun 7, 1991: 15.75 ft, action stageSep 16, 1991: 18.75 ft, major floodingMar 17, 1992: 15.65 ft, action stageApr 6, 1993: 15.65 ft, action stageMay 14, 1993: 16.85 ft, minor floodingJun 25, 1993: 18.75 ft, major floodingJul 8, 1993: 18.65 ft, major floodingMar 18, 1994: 13.65 ft, below flood stageMay 3, 1994: 13.25 ft, below flood stageApr 3, 1995: 13.25 ft, below flood stageMar 25, 1996: 14.65 ft, action stageApr 8, 1997: 19.25 ft, major floodingJul 5, 1997: 16.25 ft, action stageJul 22, 1997: 16.05 ft, action stageApr 7, 1998: 15.55 ft, action stageApr 15, 2001: 19.95 ft, major floodingApr 30, 2001: 18.85 ft, major floodingJun 29, 2002: 17.55 ft, moderate floodingAug 8, 2002: 14.05 ft, action stageAug 28, 2002: 14.45 ft, action stageJul 4, 2003: 14.48 ft, action stageApr 21, 2005: 13.22 ft, below flood stage; 2,084 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2005: 15.40 ft, action stage; 3,643 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2010: 20.30 ft, major flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2010: 16.53 ft, minor flooding; 4,890 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2011: 20.00 ft, major flooding; 9,268 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2011: 18.65 ft, major flooding; 6,852 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2012: 16.76 ft, minor flooding; 5,175 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2012: 17.17 ft, minor flooding; 5,679 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2013: 17.90 ft, moderate flooding; 6,499 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2014: 17.03 ft, minor flooding; 4,879 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2014: 21.02 ft, major flooding; 10,266 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2015: 11.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,243 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2016: 16.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,848 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2017: 17.56 ft, moderate flooding; 6,092 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2018: 16.31 ft, action stage; 4,510 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2019: 19.23 ft, major flooding; 8,130 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2019: 16.78 ft, minor flooding; 5,030 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2020: 16.50 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2020: 15.31 ft, action stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2021: 9.85 ft, below flood stage; 942 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2022: 14.92 ft, action stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2023: 20.39 ft, major flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2024: 14.92 ft, action stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 19.44 ft, major flooding; 8,390 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.25 ft, Apr 14, 1965 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Crow River at Delano 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 13 13 2020s: 3 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

The 50 highest of 57 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Fork Crow River at Delano
1Apr 14, 196523.25+6.75Major—
2Jun 24, 201421.02+4.52Major10,266
3Apr 12, 196920.45+3.95Major—
4Apr 24, 202320.39+3.89Major10,000
5Mar 21, 201020.30+3.80Major9,840
6Mar 28, 201120.00+3.50Major9,268
7Apr 15, 200119.95+3.45Major—
8Jun 24, 202419.44+2.94Major8,390
9Apr 8, 199719.25+2.75Major—
10Mar 28, 201919.23+2.73Major8,130
11Apr 30, 200118.85+2.35Major—
12Sep 16, 199118.75+2.25Major—
13Jun 25, 199318.75+2.25Major—
14Jul 8, 199318.65+2.15Major—
15Apr 8, 201118.65+2.15Major6,852
16Jun 29, 201317.90+1.40Moderate6,499
17Oct 11, 201717.56+1.06Moderate6,092
18May 1, 197517.55+1.05Moderate—
19Jun 29, 200217.55+1.05Moderate—
20Jun 25, 201217.17+0.67Minor5,679
21Mar 27, 198617.05+0.55Minor—
22Jun 9, 201417.03+0.53Minor4,879
23May 14, 199316.85+0.35Minor—
24Jun 1, 201916.78+0.28Minor5,030
25May 31, 201216.76+0.26Minor5,175
26Aug 21, 201616.68+0.18Minor5,848
27Mar 23, 197216.65+0.15Minor—
28Feb 21, 198516.55+0.05Minor—
29Oct 2, 201016.53+0.03Minor4,890
30Mar 13, 202016.500.00Minor—
31Apr 27, 201816.31−0.19Action4,510
32Jul 5, 199716.25−0.25Action—
33Jul 22, 199716.05−0.45Action—
34Apr 2, 198415.90−0.60Action—
35Jun 7, 199115.75−0.75Action—
36Mar 17, 199215.65−0.85Action—
37Apr 6, 199315.65−0.85Action—
38Apr 7, 199815.55−0.95Action—
39Jun 18, 200515.40−1.10Action3,643
40Jun 24, 199015.35−1.15Action—
41Apr 4, 202015.31−1.19Action3,660
42May 19, 202214.92−1.58Action3,340
43May 8, 202414.92−1.58Action3,340
44Mar 30, 197114.75−1.75Action—
45Mar 25, 199614.65−1.85Action—
46Jul 4, 200314.48−2.02Action—
47Aug 28, 200214.45−2.05Action—
48Oct 25, 196814.15−2.35Action—
49Mar 16, 196614.05−2.45Action—
50Aug 8, 200214.05−2.45Action—

The worst floods along the South Fork Crow River

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

April 14, 1965: 23.25 ft here, major flooding

  • MayerMN · Apr 13, 1965 · 19.23 ft · Major · its highest

June 24, 2014: 21.02 ft here, major flooding

  • MayerMN · Jun 22, 2014 · 17.45 ft · Major

April 12, 1969: 20.45 ft here, major flooding

  • MayerMN · Apr 11, 1969 · 16.48 ft · Major

Gauges on the South Fork Crow River

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

Flood gauges on the South Fork Crow River
Delano this gaugeMN16.523.25 ft, Apr 14, 196515
MayerMN11.019.23 ft, Apr 13, 19659

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DELM5, 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.