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West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester

Highest listed crest 24.80 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft75 crests since 1950

The West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 75 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2025. The highest, 24.80 ft on July 10, 1950, was major flooding, 9.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.80 ft
July 10, 1950; 49,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.4 ft
Crests at major
1
38th of 187 gauges in Nebraska
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2019
19.96 ft, minor flooding
Location
Seward County
Nebraska

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester
Action stage13.09May 29, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.033Mar 14, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.01Jul 1, 1986Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.41Jul 10, 1950Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

75 crests from 1950 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester, 1950 to 2025 0510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 24.4 ft Jul 10, 1950: 24.80 ft, major flooding; 49,400 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1958: 11.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1959: 14.66 ft, action stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 20.28 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1961: 13.91 ft, action stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1962: 13.04 ft, action stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1963: 10.55 ft, below flood stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1964: 9.10 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1965: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1965: 16.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,590 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1965: 14.23 ft, action stage; 2,920 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 18.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1968: 10.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1969: 20.34 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1969: 19.13 ft, minor flooding; 8,260 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1970: 8.99 ft, below flood stage; 940 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1971: 15.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1972: 16.88 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1973: 11.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1973: 14.76 ft, action stage; 2,880 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1975: 12.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1976: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 878 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1977: 13.30 ft, action stage; 1,980 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1978: 16.90 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 18.43 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1980: 11.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1980: 9.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1982: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 5,620 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1983: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1984: 18.82 ft, minor flooding; 6,860 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 17.29 ft, minor flooding; 4,710 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1985: 17.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,130 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1985: 17.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,690 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1986: 22.62 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1987: 19.51 ft, minor flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1988: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1989: 15.75 ft, minor flooding; 3,170 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1990: 20.58 ft, minor flooding; 6,810 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1990: 16.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,550 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1990: 15.70 ft, minor flooding; 3,070 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1991: 19.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1992: 17.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,580 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1993: 21.71 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1994: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 10.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 16.66 ft, minor flooding; 3,970 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1997: 19.42 ft, minor flooding; 5,880 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 14.93 ft, action stage; 3,050 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1999: 17.71 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2000: 17.55 ft, minor flooding; 4,430 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2001: 12.27 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2002: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 947 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2003: 10.07 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2004: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 21.17 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2006: 12.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2007: 12.14 ft, below flood stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2008: 14.88 ft, action stage; 2,890 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2009: 11.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2010: 16.53 ft, minor flooding; 3,550 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2011: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 959 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2012: 6.32 ft, below flood stage; 560 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2013: 3.70 ft, below flood stageSep 1, 2014: 18.07 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 2015: 21.24 ft, minor flooding; 9,910 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2016: 13.91 ft, action stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 11.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2018: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 19.96 ft, minor flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2020: 8.32 ft, below flood stage; 967 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2021: 12.52 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2022: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2023: 10.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2024: 8.23 ft, below flood stage; 973 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2025: 10.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.80 ft, Jul 10, 1950 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester 1950s: 1 1960s: 6 1970s: 4 1980s: 9 9 1990s: 9 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 75 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester
1Jul 10, 195024.80+9.80Major49,400
2Jul 1, 198622.62+7.62Moderate11,800
3Mar 11, 199321.71+6.71Minor12,400
4Jun 8, 201521.24+6.24Minor9,910
5May 13, 200521.17+6.17Minor10,100
6Jul 22, 199020.58+5.58Minor6,810
7Mar 20, 196920.34+5.34Minor11,400
8Mar 30, 196020.28+5.28Minor11,200
9Mar 14, 201919.96+4.96Minor6,850
10Mar 25, 198719.51+4.51Minor7,840
11Jul 11, 199719.42+4.42Minor5,880
12Jun 4, 199119.21+4.21Minor6,420
13Apr 4, 196919.13+4.13Minor8,260
14May 22, 198418.82+3.82Minor6,860
15Jul 2, 198218.60+3.60Minor5,620
16Mar 7, 197918.43+3.43Minor4,600
17Jun 16, 196718.30+3.30Minor6,850
18Sep 1, 201418.07+3.07Minor—
19Jun 19, 198317.80+2.80Minor4,600
20Jun 11, 199917.71+2.71Minor4,620
21May 16, 198517.67+2.67Minor5,130
22Jul 5, 200017.55+2.55Minor4,430
23Jul 26, 199217.40+2.40Minor4,580
24Jun 17, 198417.29+2.29Minor4,710
25Jul 20, 198517.27+2.27Minor4,690
26Mar 16, 197816.90+1.90Minor3,960
27Jul 13, 197216.88+1.88Minor4,380
28May 28, 199616.66+1.66Minor3,970
29Jul 28, 199016.62+1.62Minor3,550
30Jun 25, 201016.53+1.53Minor3,550
31Jun 8, 196516.36+1.36Minor4,590
32Sep 10, 198915.75+0.75Minor3,170
33Aug 4, 199015.70+0.70Minor3,070
34Mar 14, 197115.10+0.10Minor3,570
35May 25, 196515.000.00Minor3,500
36Jun 15, 199814.93−0.07Action3,050
37Jul 22, 200814.88−0.12Action2,890
38Oct 15, 197314.76−0.24Action2,880
39Jul 7, 195914.66−0.34Action2,890
40Oct 1, 196514.23−0.77Action2,920
41May 25, 196113.91−1.09Action2,930
42May 29, 201613.91−1.09Action2,510
43Sep 18, 197713.30−1.70Action1,980
44Mar 22, 196213.04−1.96Action2,710
45Aug 17, 200612.81−2.19Below flood stage2,040
46Jun 10, 197512.73−2.27Below flood stage2,040
47Mar 15, 202112.52−2.48Below flood stage2,120
48Jun 14, 200112.27−2.73Below flood stage2,140
49Aug 30, 200712.14−2.86Below flood stage2,090
50May 20, 201711.96−3.04Below flood stage1,830

Gauges on the West Fork Big Blue River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the West Fork Big Blue River
Dorchester this gaugeNE15.024.80 ft, Jul 10, 19501
GraftonNE11.013.88 ft, Jun 7, 20260

Other gauges in Seward County

Flood gauges in Seward County
Seward18.024.11 ft, Mar 14, 20190
Seward15.020.53 ft, Jun 17, 19571
Twin Lakes Reservoir1,344.81,346.90 ft, Jun 29, 19830

Seward County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nebraska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DRGN1, 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.