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Marias River near Shelby

Highest listed crest 23.64 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft87 crests since 1923

The Marias River near Shelby crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 87 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1923 to 2022. The highest, 23.64 ft on June 9, 1964, was major flooding, 14.64 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.64 ft
June 9, 1964; 241,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
4
11th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
June 21, 2018
9.96 ft, minor flooding
Location
Toole County
Montana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Marias River near Shelby
Action stage8.012Jun 21, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.018Jun 21, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01Jan 27, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.04Mar 12, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

87 crests from 1923 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Marias River near Shelby, 1923 to 2022 0510152025ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jun 12, 1923: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1928: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1948: 17.75 ft, major flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1949: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 3,800 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1950: 9.11 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1951: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1952: 8.98 ft, action stageJun 5, 1953: 12.77 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1954: 8.24 ft, action stage; 9,600 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1955: 7.37 ft, below flood stage; 6,920 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1956: 7.88 ft, below flood stage; 8,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1957: 10.58 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 1957: 6.98 ft, below flood stage; 6,340 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1958: 6.31 ft, below flood stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1959: 8.74 ft, action stageJun 6, 1959: 7.26 ft, below flood stage; 6,970 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1960: 8.25 ft, action stageJun 4, 1960: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 4,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1961: 6.67 ft, below flood stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1962: 10.74 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 1962: 4.86 ft, below flood stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1963: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,020 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1964: 23.64 ft, major flooding; 241,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1965: 8.07 ft, action stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1966: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 4,390 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1967: 7.93 ft, below flood stageMay 23, 1968: 5.75 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1969: 11.12 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 1969: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 5,490 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1970: 8.33 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1971: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 5,950 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1972: 11.57 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 1972: 8.44 ft, action stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1973: 5.69 ft, below flood stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1974: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1975: 18.21 ft, major flooding; 75,700 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1976: 8.93 ft, action stageMay 12, 1976: 7.01 ft, below flood stage; 6,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1977: 4.34 ft, below flood stageMay 12, 1977: 4.32 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1978: 7.65 ft, below flood stageMar 22, 1978: 7.08 ft, below flood stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1979: 7.27 ft, below flood stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1980: 8.57 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1981: 8.37 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1982: 6.69 ft, below flood stageJun 30, 1982: 6.53 ft, below flood stage; 5,790 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1983: 5.49 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1984: 5.24 ft, below flood stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1985: 6.04 ft, below flood stage; 4,420 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1986: 12.58 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1987: 6.23 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1988: 5.53 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1989: 7.88 ft, below flood stage; 7,720 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 1989: 6.91 ft, below flood stage; 5,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1991: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1992: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1993: 6.12 ft, below flood stage; 3,550 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1994: 7.39 ft, below flood stage; 6,380 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1995: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1996: 16.05 ft, major floodingMay 24, 1996: 7.50 ft, below flood stage; 6,480 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1997: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 9,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1998: 12.58 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1998: 6.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,160 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1999: 6.26 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2000: 5.15 ft, below flood stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2001: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2002: 12.30 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2003: 6.85 ft, below flood stage; 4,180 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2004: 5.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2005: 7.14 ft, below flood stage; 5,160 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2006: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 2006: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2008: 11.03 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2009: 6.77 ft, below flood stage; 4,290 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2010: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 5,580 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2011: 13.96 ft, moderate floodingJun 10, 2011: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2012: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 4,740 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2013: 7.69 ft, below flood stage; 5,690 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2014: 11.72 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 2014: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2015: 6.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2018: 8.32 ft, action stage; 7,067 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 9.96 ft, minor flooding; 11,283 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2022: 8.37 ft, action stage; 7,160 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.64 ft, Jun 9, 1964 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Marias River near Shelby 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 2020s: 0 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 87 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Marias River near Shelby
1Jun 9, 196423.64+14.64Major241,000
2Jun 20, 197518.21+9.21Major75,700
3Jun 18, 194817.75+8.75Major40,000
4Mar 12, 199616.05+7.05Major—
5Jan 27, 201113.96+4.96Moderate—
6Jun 5, 195312.77+3.77Minor21,900
7Feb 25, 198612.58+3.58Minor26,900
8Feb 24, 199812.58+3.58Minor26,900
9Jun 11, 200212.30+3.30Minor20,700
10Jun 10, 201112.11+3.11Minor18,800
11Mar 10, 201411.72+2.72Minor—
12Mar 13, 197211.57+2.57Minor—
13Jun 8, 199511.57+2.57Minor18,400
14Mar 18, 196911.12+2.12Minor—
15May 26, 200811.03+2.03Minor14,800
16Feb 6, 196210.74+1.74Minor—
17Jun 19, 201410.61+1.61Minor13,400
18Feb 28, 195710.58+1.58Minor—
19Jun 21, 20189.96+0.96Minor11,283
20Jun 25, 19519.72+0.72Minor12,100
21Jun 22, 19919.25+0.25Minor12,600
22Mar 20, 19979.14+0.14Minor9,800
23Jun 14, 19509.11+0.11Minor10,700
24Mar 27, 19528.98−0.02Action—
25Jan 18, 19768.93−0.07Action—
26Mar 18, 19598.74−0.26Action—
27May 27, 19808.57−0.43Action11,000
28Jun 10, 19728.44−0.56Action10,300
29May 21, 19818.37−0.63Action10,700
30Jun 21, 20228.37−0.63Action7,160
31Jun 14, 19708.33−0.67Action10,600
32May 12, 20188.32−0.68Action7,067
33Mar 20, 19608.25−0.75Action—
34May 21, 19548.24−0.76Action9,600
35Jun 18, 19658.07−0.93Action8,800
36Jun 1, 19677.93−1.07Below flood stage—
37May 22, 19567.88−1.12Below flood stage8,660
38Jun 12, 19897.88−1.12Below flood stage7,720
39May 14, 20137.69−1.31Below flood stage5,690
40Mar 18, 19787.65−1.35Below flood stage—
41May 24, 19967.50−1.50Below flood stage6,480
42Jun 18, 20107.48−1.52Below flood stage5,580
43Mar 3, 19947.39−1.61Below flood stage6,380
44May 22, 19557.37−1.63Below flood stage6,920
45May 27, 19797.27−1.73Below flood stage6,600
46Jun 6, 19597.26−1.74Below flood stage6,970
47Apr 27, 20127.19−1.81Below flood stage4,740
48Jun 6, 20057.14−1.86Below flood stage5,160
49May 9, 19287.12−1.88Below flood stage6,450
50Mar 22, 19787.08−1.92Below flood stage6,470

Toole County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Montana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SHLM8, 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.