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Missouri River near Williston

Highest listed crest 30.38 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft67 crests since 1912

The Missouri River near Williston crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2013. The highest, 30.38 ft on June 21, 2011, was major flooding, 8.38 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Missouri River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.38 ft
June 21, 2011
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
6
17th of 54 gauges in North Dakota
Most recent flood crest
June 21, 2011
30.38 ft, major flooding
Location
McKenzie County
Near Williston (6.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Missouri River near Williston
Action stage20.029Jun 16, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.014Jun 30, 2008Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.03Jul 4, 1997Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.06Jun 21, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1912 to 2013. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Missouri River near Williston, 1912 to 2013 1520253035ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Apr 1, 1912: 28.00 ft, major floodingApr 4, 1930: 18.60 ft, below flood stage; 231,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1943: 19.78 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 1947: 18.01 ft, below flood stage; 210,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 17.76 ft, below flood stage; 170,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1959: 20.63 ft, action stage; 170,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1960: 18.00 ft, below flood stage; 120,000 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1975: 27.15 ft, major floodingMar 26, 1978: 26.46 ft, major floodingMar 3, 1986: 25.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1994: 26.60 ft, major floodingJun 12, 1995: 20.04 ft, action stageJun 22, 1995: 21.79 ft, action stageJul 26, 1995: 22.26 ft, minor floodingAug 1, 1995: 22.08 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 1996: 22.40 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1996: 23.19 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1996: 22.76 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1996: 22.90 ft, minor floodingJul 3, 1996: 22.80 ft, minor floodingAug 1, 1996: 20.61 ft, action stageDec 5, 1996: 20.12 ft, action stageJan 10, 1997: 20.60 ft, action stageFeb 9, 1997: 21.20 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1997: 23.30 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1997: 20.72 ft, action stageMar 25, 1997: 24.02 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1997: 22.51 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1997: 26.10 ft, major floodingJul 4, 1997: 25.80 ft, moderate floodingAug 1, 1997: 23.10 ft, minor floodingSep 3, 1997: 21.66 ft, action stageOct 16, 1997: 20.58 ft, action stageNov 10, 1997: 20.10 ft, action stageDec 28, 1997: 22.50 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1998: 21.36 ft, action stageFeb 1, 1998: 21.30 ft, action stageMar 27, 1998: 20.15 ft, action stageMar 5, 1999: 21.60 ft, action stageMar 19, 1999: 22.12 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1999: 21.46 ft, action stageJul 3, 1999: 21.10 ft, action stageJun 2, 2000: 20.35 ft, action stageJun 13, 2000: 20.50 ft, action stageMar 16, 2001: 20.10 ft, action stageJun 5, 2002: 19.85 ft, below flood stageJun 23, 2002: 19.20 ft, below flood stageMar 20, 2003: 23.91 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2003: 20.81 ft, action stageMar 2, 2004: 19.33 ft, below flood stageMar 27, 2004: 21.79 ft, action stageJun 15, 2004: 19.03 ft, below flood stageJun 11, 2005: 19.39 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 2005: 18.99 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 2005: 20.76 ft, action stageMay 26, 2006: 19.83 ft, below flood stageJun 14, 2006: 19.74 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 2007: 19.82 ft, below flood stageMay 19, 2007: 18.98 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 2007: 20.20 ft, action stageMay 26, 2008: 20.22 ft, action stageJun 9, 2008: 20.10 ft, action stageJun 30, 2008: 22.24 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2009: 21.16 ft, action stageJun 21, 2011: 30.38 ft, major floodingApr 6, 2013: 21.25 ft, action stageJun 16, 2013: 21.51 ft, action stage Highest, 30.38 ft, Jun 21, 2011 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Missouri River near Williston 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 16 16 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Missouri River near Williston
1Jun 21, 201130.38+8.38Major—
2Apr 1, 191228.00+6.00Major—
3Jul 14, 197527.15+5.15Major—
4Mar 8, 199426.60+4.60Major—
5Mar 26, 197826.46+4.46Major—
6Jun 26, 199726.10+4.10Major—
7Jul 4, 199725.80+3.80Moderate—
8Mar 3, 198625.40+3.40Moderate—
9Mar 25, 199724.02+2.02Moderate—
10Mar 20, 200323.91+1.91Minor—
11Feb 24, 199723.30+1.30Minor—
12Mar 19, 199623.19+1.19Minor—
13Aug 1, 199723.10+1.10Minor—
14Jun 19, 199622.90+0.90Minor—
15Jul 3, 199622.80+0.80Minor—
16Apr 8, 199622.76+0.76Minor—
17May 29, 199722.51+0.51Minor—
18Dec 28, 199722.50+0.50Minor—
19Feb 16, 199622.40+0.40Minor—
20Jul 26, 199522.26+0.26Minor—
21Jun 30, 200822.24+0.24Minor—
22Mar 19, 199922.12+0.12Minor—
23Aug 1, 199522.08+0.08Minor—
24Jun 22, 199521.79−0.21Action—
25Mar 27, 200421.79−0.21Action—
26Sep 3, 199721.66−0.34Action—
27Mar 5, 199921.60−0.40Action—
28Jun 16, 201321.51−0.49Action—
29Jun 11, 199921.46−0.54Action—
30Jan 26, 199821.36−0.64Action—
31Feb 1, 199821.30−0.70Action—
32Apr 6, 201321.25−0.75Action—
33Feb 9, 199721.20−0.80Action—
34Jun 26, 200921.16−0.84Action—
35Jul 3, 199921.10−0.90Action—
36Jun 6, 200320.81−1.19Action—
37Jun 28, 200520.76−1.24Action—
38Mar 14, 199720.72−1.28Action—
39Mar 23, 195920.63−1.37Action170,000
40Aug 1, 199620.61−1.39Action—
41Jan 10, 199720.60−1.40Action—
42Oct 16, 199720.58−1.42Action—
43Jun 13, 200020.50−1.50Action—
44Jun 2, 200020.35−1.65Action—
45May 26, 200820.22−1.78Action—
46Jun 12, 200720.20−1.80Action—
47Mar 27, 199820.15−1.85Action—
48Dec 5, 199620.12−1.88Action—
49Nov 10, 199720.10−1.90Action—
50Mar 16, 200120.10−1.90Action—

The worst floods along the Missouri River

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

June 21, 2011: 30.38 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Missouri River

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

Flood gauges on the Missouri River
Wolf PointMT23.025.64 ft, Mar 27, 19600
CulbertsonMT19.019.66 ft, Apr 14, 19790
Williston this gaugeND22.030.38 ft, Jun 21, 20116

Other gauges in McKenzie County

Flood gauges in McKenzie County
Watford City20.024.00 ft, Mar 25, 19470

McKenzie County: every hazard · River floods across the country · North Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WLTN8, 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.