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Tarkio River near Fairfax

Highest listed crest 28.90 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft151 crests since 1924

The Tarkio River near Fairfax crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 151 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2026. The highest, 28.90 ft on May 7, 2007, was major flooding, 11.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.90 ft
May 7, 2007
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
8
27th of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
June 11, 2026
21.83 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Atchison County
Missouri

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Tarkio River near Fairfax
Action stage12.01May 25, 2004The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.032Jun 8, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.0110Jun 11, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.08May 29, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

151 crests from 1924 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Tarkio River near Fairfax, 1924 to 2026 15202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jun 12, 1924: 17.95 ft, minor floodingSep 4, 1926: 19.30 ft, moderate floodingSep 12, 1928: 18.71 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1929: 17.60 ft, minor floodingJul 7, 1929: 22.33 ft, moderate floodingJul 15, 1929: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 1, 1935: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 1937: 17.15 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 1937: 17.20 ft, minor floodingAug 6, 1938: 17.70 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1939: 18.80 ft, moderate floodingJul 28, 1940: 17.00 ft, minor floodingAug 27, 1940: 17.50 ft, minor floodingJul 9, 1941: 20.30 ft, moderate floodingSep 15, 1941: 17.80 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 1941: 17.70 ft, minor floodingOct 22, 1941: 18.55 ft, moderate floodingMay 5, 1942: 18.63 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 1942: 18.91 ft, moderate floodingJun 25, 1942: 20.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 1943: 17.05 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 1943: 17.70 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 1943: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 1944: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 3, 1945: 18.91 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 1947: 17.87 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1947: 18.56 ft, moderate floodingJun 18, 1947: 19.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 24, 1948: 20.44 ft, moderate floodingJun 2, 1949: 19.20 ft, moderate floodingJun 28, 1949: 19.85 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 1950: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 1951: 17.50 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1957: 17.40 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1957: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 4, 1958: 18.10 ft, moderate floodingJul 19, 1958: 20.95 ft, moderate floodingJul 30, 1958: 20.30 ft, moderate floodingAug 6, 1958: 19.28 ft, moderate floodingMay 30, 1959: 18.82 ft, moderate floodingJan 13, 1960: 19.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1960: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingAug 29, 1960: 17.60 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 1961: 18.50 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1961: 18.36 ft, moderate floodingApr 29, 1963: 17.12 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 1964: 17.65 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 1965: 20.60 ft, moderate floodingJul 20, 1965: 19.63 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 1967: 20.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 18, 1969: 19.73 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1973: 18.60 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 1973: 19.95 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1973: 18.94 ft, moderate floodingApr 16, 1973: 18.37 ft, moderate floodingSep 7, 1973: 18.01 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 1973: 23.28 ft, moderate floodingJun 9, 1974: 17.93 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 1976: 18.12 ft, moderate floodingAug 30, 1982: 24.75 ft, moderate floodingOct 12, 1986: 18.73 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 1987: 18.08 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1987: 25.48 ft, major floodingJul 10, 1987: 22.88 ft, moderate floodingAug 27, 1987: 22.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 16, 1987: 21.32 ft, moderate floodingSep 9, 1989: 24.61 ft, moderate floodingJun 14, 1990: 20.70 ft, moderate floodingJul 5, 1993: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 13, 1993: 22.30 ft, moderate floodingJul 23, 1993: 25.60 ft, major floodingJun 23, 1994: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1995: 17.30 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 1995: 22.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 1995: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 1996: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 1996: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1996: 23.25 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1996: 21.60 ft, moderate floodingAug 20, 1996: 20.10 ft, moderate floodingNov 17, 1996: 22.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 2, 1997: 19.56 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1998: 23.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 1998: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 15, 1998: 25.00 ft, major floodingJul 10, 1998: 17.00 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1999: 17.90 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1999: 19.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1999: 20.85 ft, moderate floodingFeb 25, 2001: 21.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 2001: 17.00 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2001: 22.45 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 2004: 16.00 ft, action stageMay 30, 2004: 24.85 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 2005: 21.45 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 2007: 17.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,894 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 28.90 ft, major floodingMay 24, 2007: 21.10 ft, moderate flooding; 7,452 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2007: 18.44 ft, moderate flooding; 5,589 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2007: 22.14 ft, moderate flooding; 8,232 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2007: 23.26 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 2008: 18.25 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 2008: 17.50 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 2008: 20.26 ft, moderate floodingJun 6, 2008: 26.35 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 20.74 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 2008: 20.65 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2010: 20.23 ft, moderate floodingMay 26, 2010: 18.88 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 2010: 19.46 ft, moderate floodingJun 13, 2010: 17.72 ft, minor floodingJul 15, 2010: 23.49 ft, moderate floodingSep 1, 2010: 21.94 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 2011: 24.17 ft, moderate floodingJul 7, 2011: 22.98 ft, moderate floodingApr 15, 2012: 21.22 ft, moderate floodingAug 26, 2012: 20.48 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 2013: 24.19 ft, moderate floodingJun 9, 2013: 17.31 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 2014: 23.24 ft, moderate flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2014: 18.54 ft, moderate flooding; 5,730 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2014: 23.74 ft, moderate floodingSep 10, 2014: 23.82 ft, moderate floodingOct 1, 2014: 19.96 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 2015: 22.80 ft, moderate floodingJun 12, 2015: 25.19 ft, major flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 24.04 ft, moderate floodingJul 17, 2015: 23.95 ft, moderate floodingJul 29, 2015: 23.42 ft, moderate floodingAug 9, 2015: 24.16 ft, moderate floodingDec 14, 2015: 24.29 ft, moderate floodingDec 24, 2015: 17.94 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2016: 23.29 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 2016: 19.13 ft, moderate floodingMay 31, 2016: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 12, 2016: 19.39 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 2017: 19.19 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 2017: 18.15 ft, moderate floodingSep 3, 2018: 17.92 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2018: 18.15 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 2019: 19.17 ft, moderate floodingMar 14, 2019: 24.82 ft, moderate floodingMay 24, 2019: 26.31 ft, major floodingMay 29, 2019: 27.20 ft, major floodingJul 21, 2019: 19.49 ft, moderate floodingOct 2, 2019: 19.28 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 2022: 17.91 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2024: 21.16 ft, moderate floodingMay 19, 2026: 24.85 ft, moderate floodingJun 5, 2026: 19.81 ft, moderate floodingJun 11, 2026: 21.83 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 28.90 ft, May 7, 2007 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Tarkio River near Fairfax 1920s: 6 1930s: 5 1940s: 20 1950s: 9 1960s: 11 1970s: 8 1980s: 8 1990s: 22 2000s: 17 2010s: 39 39 2020s: 5 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 151 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Tarkio River near Fairfax
1May 7, 200728.90+11.90Major—
2May 29, 201927.20+10.20Major—
3Jun 6, 200826.35+9.35Major12,600
4May 24, 201926.31+9.31Major—
5Jul 23, 199325.60+8.60Major—
6May 27, 198725.48+8.48Major—
7Jun 12, 201525.19+8.19Major10,700
8Jun 15, 199825.00+8.00Major—
9May 30, 200424.85+7.85Moderate—
10May 19, 202624.85+7.85Moderate—
11Mar 14, 201924.82+7.82Moderate—
12Aug 30, 198224.75+7.75Moderate—
13Sep 9, 198924.61+7.61Moderate—
14Dec 14, 201524.29+7.29Moderate—
15May 29, 201324.19+7.19Moderate—
16Jun 27, 201124.17+7.17Moderate—
17Aug 9, 201524.16+7.16Moderate—
18Jun 16, 201524.04+7.04Moderate—
19Jul 5, 199324.00+7.00Moderate—
20May 9, 199624.00+7.00Moderate—
21May 31, 201624.00+7.00Moderate—
22Jul 17, 201523.95+6.95Moderate—
23Sep 10, 201423.82+6.82Moderate—
24Aug 29, 201423.74+6.74Moderate—
25Jul 15, 201023.49+6.49Moderate—
26Jul 29, 201523.42+6.42Moderate—
27Apr 28, 201623.29+6.29Moderate—
28Oct 11, 197323.28+6.28Moderate—
29Oct 15, 200723.26+6.26Moderate—
30May 23, 199623.25+6.25Moderate—
31Jun 4, 201423.24+6.24Moderate9,100
32Mar 30, 199823.10+6.10Moderate—
33Jul 7, 201122.98+5.98Moderate—
34Jul 10, 198722.88+5.88Moderate—
35May 17, 201522.80+5.80Moderate—
36Jun 15, 200122.45+5.45Moderate—
37Jul 7, 192922.33+5.33Moderate—
38Jul 13, 199322.30+5.30Moderate—
39May 28, 199522.30+5.30Moderate—
40Aug 24, 200722.14+5.14Moderate8,232
41Aug 27, 198722.00+5.00Moderate—
42Nov 17, 199622.00+5.00Moderate—
43Sep 1, 201021.94+4.94Moderate—
44Jun 11, 202621.83+4.83Moderate—
45May 27, 199621.60+4.60Moderate—
46May 13, 200521.45+4.45Moderate—
47Sep 16, 198721.32+4.32Moderate—
48Apr 15, 201221.22+4.22Moderate—
49May 7, 202421.16+4.16Moderate—
50May 24, 200721.10+4.10Moderate7,452

The worst floods along the Tarkio River

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

May 29, 2019: 27.20 ft here, major flooding

  • ElliotIA · May 24, 2019 · 11.83 ft · Minor

June 6, 2008: 26.35 ft here, major flooding

  • ElliotIA · Jun 5, 2008 · 13.20 ft · Minor

May 24, 2019: 26.31 ft here, major flooding

  • ElliotIA · May 24, 2019 · 11.83 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Tarkio River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Tarkio River
ElliotIA11.014.68 ft, Jun 14, 19980
Fairfax this gaugeMO17.028.90 ft, May 7, 20078

Atchison County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Missouri

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FFXM7, 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.