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Milk River near Tampico

Highest listed crest 28.03 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft20 crests since 1974

The Milk River near Tampico crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1974 to 2023. The highest, 28.03 ft on April 15, 2011, was major flooding, 5.03 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Milk River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.03 ft
April 15, 2011; 19,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
5
9th of 93 gauges in Montana
Most recent flood crest
April 15, 2023
27.94 ft, major 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 near Tampico
Action stage21.01Mar 8, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.03Apr 1, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.07Apr 25, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.05Apr 15, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1974 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Milk River near Tampico, 1974 to 2023 1015202530ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft May 26, 1974: 23.65 ft, minor flooding; 8,210 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1976: 25.25 ft, moderate flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1991: 25.40 ft, moderate flooding; 7,240 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1994: 25.20 ft, moderate flooding; 7,250 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1997: 27.55 ft, major flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2010: 15.52 ft, below flood stageApr 15, 2011: 28.03 ft, major flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 27.90 ft, major flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2013: 24.69 ft, moderate flooding; 8,494 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2014: 18.46 ft, below flood stageAug 29, 2014: 25.12 ft, moderate flooding; 8,720 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2016: 19.39 ft, below flood stage; 5,982 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2016: 25.75 ft, moderate flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2017: 23.47 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 26.98 ft, moderate flooding; 14,274 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2019: 27.37 ft, major flooding; 16,281 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2020: 22.96 ft, action stage; 7,281 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2020: 23.59 ft, minor flooding; 7,595 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2023: 27.94 ft, major flooding; 19,186 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2023: 19.83 ft, below flood stage; 5,768 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.03 ft, Apr 15, 2011 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Milk River near Tampico 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 near Tampico
1Apr 15, 201128.03+5.03Major19,700
2Apr 15, 202327.94+4.94Major19,186
3Jun 10, 201127.90+4.90Major19,000
4Mar 27, 199727.55+4.55Major11,000
5Mar 28, 201927.37+4.37Major16,281
6Apr 25, 201826.98+3.98Moderate14,274
7Oct 10, 201625.75+2.75Moderate9,820
8Jul 4, 199125.40+2.40Moderate7,240
9Mar 22, 197625.25+2.25Moderate8,200
10Mar 19, 199425.20+2.20Moderate7,250
11Aug 29, 201425.12+2.12Moderate8,720
12Jun 11, 201324.69+1.69Moderate8,494
13May 26, 197423.65+0.65Minor8,210
14Apr 1, 202023.59+0.59Minor7,595
15Mar 19, 201723.47+0.47Minor7,800
16Mar 8, 202022.96−0.04Action7,281
17Jun 4, 202319.83−3.17Below flood stage5,768
18May 14, 201619.39−3.61Below flood stage5,982
19Mar 16, 201418.46−4.54Below flood stage—
20May 28, 201015.52−7.48Below flood stage—

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.

April 15, 2011: 28.03 ft here, major flooding

  • GlasgowMT · Apr 16, 2011 · 32.84 ft · Major
  • NashuaMT · Apr 18, 2011 · 28.62 ft · Moderate
  • SacoMT · Apr 14, 2011 · 22.07 ft · Moderate

April 15, 2023: 27.94 ft here, major flooding

  • GlasgowMT · Apr 16, 2023 · 31.89 ft · Major
  • SacoMT · Apr 14, 2023 · 26.24 ft · Major
  • HarlemMT · Apr 12, 2023 · 23.80 ft · Moderate
  • NashuaMT · Apr 18, 2023 · 26.47 ft · Minor

June 10, 2011: 27.90 ft here, major flooding

  • GlasgowMT · Jun 8, 2011 · 34.08 ft · Major · its highest
  • NashuaMT · Jun 9, 2011 · 29.52 ft · Moderate
  • 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
Tampico this gaugeMT23.028.03 ft, Apr 15, 20115
GlasgowMT25.034.08 ft, Jun 8, 20117
NashuaMT20.031.38 ft, Apr 18, 19523

Other gauges in Valley County

Flood gauges in Valley County
Hinsdale14.019.52 ft, Aug 26, 201410
Nashua20.031.38 ft, Apr 18, 19523
Glasgow25.034.08 ft, Jun 8, 20117
Saco20.026.70 ft, Mar 4, 19867

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TMPM8, 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.