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Black River 5 miles W of Malaga

Highest listed crest 21.70 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft17 crests since 1908

The Black River 5 miles W of Malaga crested above flood stage 4 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2014. The highest, 21.70 ft on August 23, 1966, was moderate flooding, 3.70 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.70 ft
August 23, 1966; 74,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
0
4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 19, 2014
18.09 ft, minor flooding
Location
Eddy County
Near Carlsbad (13.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black River 5 miles W of Malaga
Action stage12.05Jun 2, 1978The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.03Sep 19, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.01Aug 23, 1966Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1908 to 2014. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black River 5 miles W of Malaga, 1908 to 2014 510152025ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Jan 1, 1908: 20.50 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 1941: 19.00 ft, minor flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1948: 9.82 ft, below flood stage; 9,230 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1954: 12.60 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1955: 14.70 ft, action stage; 20,500 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1955: 10.77 ft, below flood stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1960: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1963: 12.35 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1965: 13.95 ft, action stage; 18,400 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1966: 21.70 ft, moderate flooding; 74,600 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1967: 8.68 ft, below flood stage; 6,630 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1968: 9.35 ft, below flood stage; 7,870 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1972: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 6,770 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1978: 12.87 ft, action stage; 16,880 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1985: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 6,490 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1986: 9.08 ft, below flood stage; 6,770 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2014: 18.09 ft, minor flooding; 12,349 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.70 ft, Aug 23, 1966 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black River 5 miles W of Malaga 1900s: 1 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Black River 5 miles W of Malaga
1Aug 23, 196621.70+3.70Moderate74,600
2Jan 1, 190820.50+2.50Minor—
3Sep 21, 194119.00+1.00Minor33,000
4Sep 19, 201418.09+0.09Minor12,349
5Sep 23, 195514.70−3.30Action20,500
6May 30, 196513.95−4.05Action18,400
7Jun 2, 197812.87−5.13Action16,880
8Apr 24, 195412.60−5.40Action15,200
9Aug 31, 196312.35−5.65Action14,000
10Oct 2, 195510.77−7.23Below flood stage11,100
11May 31, 19489.82−8.18Below flood stage9,230
12Jul 6, 19689.35−8.65Below flood stage7,870
13Jun 24, 19869.08−8.92Below flood stage6,770
14Sep 19, 19858.93−9.07Below flood stage6,490
15Sep 2, 19728.87−9.13Below flood stage6,770
16Jul 6, 19608.83−9.17Below flood stage5,680
17Jun 30, 19678.68−9.32Below flood stage6,630

Other gauges in Eddy County

Flood gauges in Eddy County
Carlsbad15.022.00 ft, Aug 23, 19661
Delaware River (NM) 11 miles NW of Red Bluff26.027.00 ft, Oct 2, 19550
Fourmile Draw 4 miles NNW of Lakewood12.017.18 ft, Jun 25, 19860
Pecos River 10 miles S of Malaga20.033.32 ft, Aug 23, 19661
Dark Canyon14.022.00 ft, Aug 23, 19662
Pecos River 3 miles ESE of Malaga30.042.10 ft, Aug 23, 19661
Pecos River 6 miles E of Artesia12.513.76 ft, Oct 8, 19540
Pecos River 6 miles NE of Lakewood20.022.35 ft, Sep 19, 20130

Eddy County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Mexico

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MLAN5, 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.