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South Kawishiwi River near Ely

Highest listed crest 7.25 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft34 crests since 1952

The South Kawishiwi River near Ely crested above flood stage 6 times among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1952 to 2024. The highest, 7.25 ft on May 4, 1954, was minor flooding, 0.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.25 ft
May 4, 1954; 5,130 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
Major flooding from 8.5 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2024
6.63 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lake 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 Kawishiwi River near Ely
Action stage5.58May 12, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.56Jun 24, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1952 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Kawishiwi River near Ely, 1952 to 2024 246810ft Flood stage 6.5 ftMajor 8.5 ft Apr 26, 1952: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,130 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1953: 5.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1954: 7.25 ft, minor flooding; 5,130 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1955: 4.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1956: 6.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1957: 6.88 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1958: 3.72 ft, below flood stage; 666 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1959: 4.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1960: 5.74 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1961: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1976: 7.18 ft, minor flooding; 4,980 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1978: 5.70 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 2003: 3.79 ft, below flood stage; 788 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2004: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2005: 4.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2006: 5.90 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2007: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2008: 5.92 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2009: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2010: 3.06 ft, below flood stage; 404 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2011: 4.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2012: 5.69 ft, action stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2013: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,240 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2014: 6.16 ft, action stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2015: 4.82 ft, below flood stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2016: 5.53 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2017: 5.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2018: 4.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2019: 5.25 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2020: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2021: 5.04 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2022: 6.88 ft, minor flooding; 4,420 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2023: 6.08 ft, action stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 6.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,970 cubic feet per second Highest, 7.25 ft, May 4, 1954 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Kawishiwi River near Ely 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 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

Highest listed crests, South Kawishiwi River near Ely
1May 4, 19547.25+0.75Minor5,130
2Apr 21, 19767.18+0.68Minor4,980
3Apr 29, 19576.88+0.38Minor4,380
4May 17, 20226.88+0.38Minor4,420
5Jun 24, 20246.63+0.13Minor3,970
6May 18, 19566.52+0.02Minor3,780
7May 14, 20146.16−0.34Action3,210
8May 12, 20236.08−0.42Action3,100
9Apr 29, 20085.92−0.58Action2,900
10May 16, 20065.90−0.60Action2,870
11May 8, 19605.74−0.76Action2,670
12Jun 4, 19785.70−0.80Action2,630
13Jun 26, 20125.69−0.81Action2,560
14Apr 24, 20165.53−0.97Action2,360
15Apr 26, 19525.45−1.05Below flood stage2,130
16Jul 23, 20135.43−1.07Below flood stage2,240
17May 6, 20095.39−1.11Below flood stage2,220
18Apr 30, 20195.25−1.25Below flood stage2,030
19Jun 5, 19535.19−1.31Below flood stage1,900
20Apr 26, 20175.19−1.31Below flood stage1,960
21Apr 25, 20045.17−1.33Below flood stage1,970
22Apr 17, 20215.04−1.46Below flood stage1,800
23Apr 27, 19614.99−1.51Below flood stage4,980
24May 6, 20204.94−1.56Below flood stage1,700
25May 15, 20054.90−1.60Below flood stage1,680
26Jun 11, 20074.83−1.67Below flood stage1,620
27Jun 11, 20154.82−1.68Below flood stage1,590
28Jul 8, 20184.49−2.01Below flood stage1,290
29Jun 14, 19554.47−2.03Below flood stage1,270
30May 5, 20114.36−2.14Below flood stage1,200
31Sep 8, 19594.27−2.23Below flood stage1,130
32Jul 14, 20033.79−2.71Below flood stage788
33Sep 11, 19583.72−2.78Below flood stage666
34May 21, 20103.06−3.44Below flood stage404

Other gauges in Lake County

Flood gauges in Lake County
Winton7.58.16 ft, May 21, 20220
Beaver Bay16.021.12 ft, Jun 19, 20240

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SKRM5, 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.