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Milk River at Nashua

Highest listed crest 31.38 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft41 crests since 1939

The Milk River at Nashua crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1939 to 2023. The highest, 31.38 ft on April 18, 1952, was major flooding, 11.38 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.38 ft
April 18, 1952; 45,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
3
15th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
April 18, 2023
26.47 ft, minor flooding
Location
Valley County
Montana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Milk River at Nashua
Action stage18.03Jun 5, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.026Apr 18, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.04Jun 9, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.03Mar 8, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1939 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Milk River at Nashua, 1939 to 2023 1520253035ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 27, 1939: 30.77 ft, major flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1940: 21.80 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1943: 26.97 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1947: 23.56 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1950: 22.62 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1951: 21.87 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 1951: 20.35 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1952: 31.38 ft, major flooding; 45,300 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1953: 25.50 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1954: 22.35 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1955: 20.98 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1959: 24.43 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1960: 26.17 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1962: 20.30 ft, minor flooding; 9,670 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1965: 22.93 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 1965: 20.23 ft, minor flooding; 9,610 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1966: 21.35 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1967: 25.39 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1976: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 9,240 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1978: 28.93 ft, moderate flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1979: 29.58 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1982: 20.54 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1986: 30.09 ft, major flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1986: 26.11 ft, minor flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1997: 25.90 ft, minor flooding; 13,460 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2004: 21.49 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 2011: 28.62 ft, moderate flooding; 20,648 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2011: 29.52 ft, moderate flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2013: 18.81 ft, action stage; 9,100 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2014: 17.16 ft, below flood stageAug 24, 2014: 22.97 ft, minor flooding; 12,455 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2016: 16.94 ft, below flood stage; 7,625 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2016: 19.07 ft, action stage; 9,244 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2017: 17.27 ft, below flood stageMar 18, 2017: 17.43 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 2018: 22.35 ft, minor flooding; 11,981 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2019: 27.47 ft, minor flooding; 17,801 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2020: 21.75 ft, minor flooding; 11,033 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2020: 17.77 ft, below flood stage; 7,962 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2023: 26.47 ft, minor flooding; 15,957 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2023: 19.74 ft, action stage; 9,464 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.38 ft, Apr 18, 1952 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Milk River at Nashua 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 8 8 1960s: 6 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 5 2020s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Milk River at Nashua
1Apr 18, 195231.38+11.38Major45,300
2Mar 27, 193930.77+10.77Major27,000
3Mar 8, 198630.09+10.09Major18,500
4Mar 27, 197929.58+9.58Moderate14,300
5Jun 9, 201129.52+9.52Moderate26,500
6Apr 5, 197828.93+8.93Moderate18,900
7Apr 18, 201128.62+8.62Moderate20,648
8Mar 26, 201927.47+7.47Minor17,801
9Apr 2, 194326.97+6.97Minor17,400
10Apr 18, 202326.47+6.47Minor15,957
11Mar 27, 196026.17+6.17Minor14,200
12Oct 8, 198626.11+6.11Minor13,700
13Mar 31, 199725.90+5.90Minor13,460
14May 31, 195325.50+5.50Minor13,400
15Mar 30, 196725.39+5.39Minor12,000
16Mar 24, 195924.43+4.43Minor10,000
17Mar 30, 194723.56+3.56Minor11,000
18Aug 24, 201422.97+2.97Minor12,455
19Apr 13, 196522.93+2.93Minor—
20Apr 22, 195022.62+2.62Minor12,500
21Apr 13, 195422.35+2.35Minor10,900
22Apr 30, 201822.35+2.35Minor11,981
23Apr 3, 195121.87+1.87Minor—
24Apr 23, 194021.80+1.80Minor12,000
25Mar 9, 202021.75+1.75Minor11,033
26Mar 21, 200421.49+1.49Minor—
27Mar 25, 196621.35+1.35Minor—
28Apr 6, 195520.98+0.98Minor10,200
29Mar 30, 198220.54+0.54Minor—
30Apr 9, 195120.35+0.35Minor10,100
31Jul 17, 196220.30+0.30Minor9,670
32May 9, 196520.23+0.23Minor9,610
33Mar 23, 197620.20+0.20Minor9,240
34Jun 5, 202319.74−0.26Action9,464
35Oct 12, 201619.07−0.93Action9,244
36Jun 10, 201318.81−1.19Action9,100
37Apr 1, 202017.77−2.23Below flood stage7,962
38Mar 18, 201717.43−2.57Below flood stage—
39Feb 22, 201717.27−2.73Below flood stage—
40Mar 19, 201417.16−2.84Below flood stage—
41May 14, 201616.94−3.06Below flood stage7,625

The worst floods along the Milk River

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

March 8, 1986: 30.09 ft here, major flooding

  • SacoMT · Mar 4, 1986 · 26.70 ft · Major · its highest

March 27, 1979: 29.58 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SacoMT · Mar 21, 1979 · 24.30 ft · Major

June 9, 2011: 29.52 ft here, moderate flooding

  • GlasgowMT · Jun 8, 2011 · 34.08 ft · Major · its highest
  • TampicoMT · Jun 10, 2011 · 27.90 ft · Major
  • HarlemMT · Jun 11, 2011 · 23.46 ft · Moderate
  • DodsonMT · Jun 9, 2011 · 25.76 ft · Minor
  • SacoMT · Jun 9, 2011 · 21.53 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Milk River

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

Flood gauges on the Milk River
Eastern Crossing nr RudyardMT9.513.65 ft, Mar 28, 19521
HavreMT10.015.30 ft, Mar 31, 19780
HarlemMT21.025.73 ft, Sep 29, 19862
DodsonMT23.029.79 ft, Sep 26, 19860
MaltaMT16.023.67 ft, Sep 27, 19861
SacoMT20.026.70 ft, Mar 4, 19867
TampicoMT23.028.03 ft, Apr 15, 20115
GlasgowMT25.034.08 ft, Jun 8, 20117
Nashua this gaugeMT20.031.38 ft, Apr 18, 19523

Other gauges in Valley County

Flood gauges in Valley County
Hinsdale14.019.52 ft, Aug 26, 201410
Glasgow25.034.08 ft, Jun 8, 20117
Saco20.026.70 ft, Mar 4, 19867
Tampico23.028.03 ft, Apr 15, 20115

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NSHM8, 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.