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Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls

Highest listed crest 35.82 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft54 crests since 1888

The Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 54 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1888 to 2024. The highest, 35.82 ft on September 24, 2010, was major flooding, 17.82 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Zumbro River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
35.82 ft
September 24, 2010; 53,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
7
20th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 23, 2024
23.71 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wabasha County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls
Action stage15.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.043Jun 23, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.04Sep 22, 1986Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.07Jun 29, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

54 crests from 1888 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls, 1888 to 2024 152025303540ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Apr 1, 1888: 30.50 ft, major floodingMar 25, 1917: 19.04 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1933: 22.90 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1934: 26.26 ft, major flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1935: 19.60 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1936: 20.18 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1937: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1938: 21.30 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1939: 19.48 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1942: 20.26 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1943: 21.87 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1945: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 23.84 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1950: 24.82 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1951: 30.80 ft, major flooding; 35,900 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 23.98 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1953: 20.08 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1954: 19.43 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1956: 19.88 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1957: 18.88 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1958: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1960: 21.78 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1961: 21.69 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1962: 28.20 ft, major flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1965: 28.40 ft, major flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1966: 21.47 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1967: 21.62 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1969: 20.07 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1970: 21.38 ft, minor flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1973: 25.06 ft, moderate flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1978: 24.26 ft, moderate flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1980: 20.82 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1986: 25.49 ft, moderate flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1990: 18.32 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 18.40 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1993: 21.05 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1998: 23.23 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2001: 18.81 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2001: 23.04 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2001: 18.49 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2002: 19.45 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 2004: 19.75 ft, minor flooding; 13,492 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2004: 23.16 ft, minor flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 20.11 ft, minor flooding; 15,129 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2007: 21.76 ft, minor flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2008: 20.05 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 35.82 ft, major flooding; 53,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2013: 19.30 ft, minor flooding; 13,970 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2016: 22.22 ft, minor flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 22.08 ft, minor flooding; 20,027 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2019: 27.03 ft, major flooding; 28,760 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2019: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 14,780 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2019: 19.71 ft, minor flooding; 16,393 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 23.71 ft, minor flooding Highest, 35.82 ft, Sep 24, 2010 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 7 1940s: 4 1950s: 8 1960s: 7 1970s: 3 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 7 2020s: 1 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 54 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls
1Sep 24, 201035.82+17.82Major53,000
2Jul 22, 195130.80+12.80Major35,900
3Apr 1, 188830.50+12.50Major—
4Mar 2, 196528.40+10.40Major29,600
5Mar 29, 196228.20+10.20Major29,100
6Jun 29, 201927.03+9.03Major28,760
7Apr 4, 193426.26+8.26Major21,800
8Sep 22, 198625.49+7.49Moderate24,400
9May 2, 197325.06+7.06Moderate22,200
10Mar 27, 195024.82+6.82Moderate21,200
11Jul 7, 197824.26+6.26Moderate20,800
12Apr 1, 195223.98+5.98Minor19,000
13Mar 19, 194823.84+5.84Minor17,900
14Jun 23, 202423.71+5.71Minor—
15Jun 27, 199823.23+5.23Minor18,700
16Sep 16, 200423.16+5.16Minor19,900
17Apr 13, 200123.04+5.04Minor19,700
18Mar 14, 194523.00+5.00Minor18,500
19Mar 31, 193322.90+4.90Minor18,500
20Sep 23, 201622.22+4.22Minor20,300
21Mar 16, 201922.08+4.08Minor20,027
22Jul 6, 194321.87+3.87Minor14,900
23May 22, 196021.78+3.78Minor15,500
24Aug 20, 200721.76+3.76Minor17,600
25Mar 26, 196121.69+3.69Minor15,400
26Mar 25, 196721.62+3.62Minor16,600
27Feb 9, 196621.47+3.47Minor15,000
28May 28, 197021.38+3.38Minor13,800
29Sep 10, 193821.30+3.30Minor14,000
30Jun 18, 199321.05+3.05Minor15,700
31Jun 5, 195820.90+2.90Minor14,100
32Mar 19, 198020.82+2.82Minor15,300
33Jun 1, 194220.26+2.26Minor12,000
34Mar 6, 193720.20+2.20Minor13,300
35Mar 21, 193620.18+2.18Minor13,300
36Mar 14, 200720.11+2.11Minor15,129
37Jul 27, 195320.08+2.08Minor12,900
38Apr 5, 196920.07+2.07Minor12,900
39Jun 13, 200820.05+2.05Minor15,000
40Apr 2, 195619.88+1.88Minor12,700
41Jun 11, 200419.75+1.75Minor13,492
42Jul 21, 201919.71+1.71Minor16,393
43Aug 7, 193519.60+1.60Minor11,700
44Mar 22, 193919.48+1.48Minor11,900
45Jun 22, 200219.45+1.45Minor—
46Jun 20, 195419.43+1.43Minor12,100
47Mar 31, 201319.30+1.30Minor13,970
48Mar 25, 191719.04+1.04Minor13,100
49Jul 16, 195718.88+0.88Minor11,300
50Apr 8, 200118.81+0.81Minor—

The worst floods along the Zumbro River

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

September 24, 2010: 35.82 ft here, major flooding

  • Lake ZumbroMN · Sep 24, 2010 · 923.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • KelloggMN · Sep 25, 2010 · 691.23 ft · Major · its highest

July 22, 1951: 30.80 ft here, major flooding

March 2, 1965: 28.40 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Zumbro River

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

Flood gauges on the Zumbro River
KelloggMN683.0691.23 ft, Sep 25, 20101
Lake ZumbroMN918.0923.20 ft, Sep 24, 20101
Zumbro Falls this gaugeMN18.035.82 ft, Sep 24, 20107

Other gauges in Wabasha County

Flood gauges in Wabasha County
Alma - Pool 5672.0672.13 ft, Apr 16, 20010
Wabasha - Pool 412.020.05 ft, Apr 19, 19657
Mazeppa858.0860.87 ft, Sep 22, 20160
Kellogg683.0691.23 ft, Sep 25, 20101
Lake Zumbro918.0923.20 ft, Sep 24, 20101

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ZUMM5, 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.