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Humboldt River near Carlin

Highest listed crest 12.20 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft12 crests since 1962

The Humboldt River near Carlin crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1962 to 2023. The highest, 12.20 ft on May 17, 1984, was major flooding, 5.20 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Humboldt River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.20 ft
May 17, 1984; 8,250 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.5 ft
Crests at major
8
4th of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
May 28, 2023
8.08 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Elko County
Near Elko (14.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Humboldt River near Carlin
Action stage6.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.02Jun 19, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.02May 28, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.58Feb 12, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1962 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Humboldt River near Carlin, 1962 to 2023 68101214ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 8.5 ft Feb 14, 1962: 10.23 ft, major flooding; 6,160 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1983: 11.06 ft, major flooding; 7,130 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1984: 12.20 ft, major flooding; 8,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1986: 9.44 ft, major flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1995: 10.57 ft, major flooding; 6,580 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1998: 7.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,470 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2005: 8.74 ft, major flooding; 4,590 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2006: 8.58 ft, major flooding; 4,430 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2011: 7.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2017: 10.10 ft, major flooding; 6,012 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2019: 8.12 ft, moderate flooding; 3,990 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2023: 8.08 ft, moderate flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.20 ft, May 17, 1984 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Humboldt River near Carlin 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Humboldt River near Carlin
1May 17, 198412.20+5.20Major8,250
2Mar 5, 198311.06+4.06Major7,130
3Jun 7, 199510.57+3.57Major6,580
4Feb 14, 196210.23+3.23Major6,160
5Feb 12, 201710.10+3.10Major6,012
6Feb 20, 19869.44+2.44Major5,300
7May 24, 20058.74+1.74Major4,590
8Apr 8, 20068.58+1.58Major4,430
9Jun 10, 20198.12+1.12Moderate3,990
10May 28, 20238.08+1.08Moderate3,960
11Jun 12, 19987.54+0.54Minor2,470
12Jun 19, 20117.45+0.45Minor3,390

The worst floods along the Humboldt River

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

May 17, 1984: 12.20 ft here, major flooding

  • ElkoNV · May 17, 1984 · 10.22 ft · Major
  • PalisadeNV · May 18, 1984 · 10.08 ft · Major

March 5, 1983: 11.06 ft here, major flooding

  • ElkoNV · Mar 4, 1983 · 12.18 ft · Major
  • PalisadeNV · Mar 6, 1983 · 9.75 ft · Major

June 7, 1995: 10.57 ft here, major flooding

  • ElkoNV · Jun 5, 1995 · 9.20 ft · Moderate
  • PalisadeNV · Jun 8, 1995 · 8.74 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Humboldt River

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

Flood gauges on the Humboldt River
ElkoNV6.212.30 ft, Feb 13, 19624
Carlin this gaugeNV7.012.20 ft, May 17, 19848
PalisadeNV7.017.00 ft, Feb 28, 19108
Battle MountainNV9.511.72 ft, May 24, 20051
ComusNV9.512.25 ft, Apr 24, 19845
ImlayNV10.312.99 ft, May 27, 19843

Other gauges in Elko County

Flood gauges in Elko County
Rowland7.013.37 ft, Apr 3, 19664
Elko6.212.30 ft, Feb 13, 19624
Jarbidge5.55.83 ft, May 22, 20230
Lamoille4.86.98 ft, Jun 6, 201012
Carlin5.06.76 ft, Apr 6, 20062
Hot Springs Creek nr Deeth6.07.36 ft, May 5, 20230
Wildhorse Dam6,208.06,208.00 ft, May 15, 19840
Mountain City8.09.81 ft, Mar 17, 19930
Wildhorse3.510.10 ft, May 5, 19229
San Jacinto10.017.11 ft, Feb 10, 20172
Dixie Creek5.56.80 ft, Jan 12, 19791

Elko County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nevada

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HRCN2, 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.