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Humboldt River near Elko

Highest listed crest 12.30 ftFlood stage 6.2 ft43 crests since 1910

The Humboldt River near Elko crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1910 to 2023. The highest, 12.30 ft on February 13, 1962, was major flooding, 6.10 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
12.30 ft
February 13, 1962; 7,070 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.2 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
4
8th of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
May 27, 2023
6.63 ft, minor flooding
Location
Elko County
Near Elko (10.1 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 Elko
Action stage5.55Jun 4, 2002The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.225May 27, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.09Apr 7, 2006Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.04Feb 10, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1910 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Humboldt River near Elko, 1910 to 2023 468101214ft Flood stage 6.2 ftMajor 10.0 ft Jun 10, 1910: 6.17 ft, action stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1945: 8.96 ft, moderate flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1946: 6.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1948: 5.68 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1949: 6.44 ft, minor flooding; 1,380 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1950: 6.13 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1951: 6.92 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1952: 9.60 ft, moderate flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1956: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1957: 7.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1958: 6.47 ft, minor flooding; 1,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1962: 12.30 ft, major flooding; 7,070 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1963: 7.25 ft, minor flooding; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1964: 7.37 ft, minor flooding; 2,220 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1965: 6.52 ft, minor flooding; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1967: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1968: 5.66 ft, action stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1969: 8.52 ft, moderate flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1970: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1971: 8.32 ft, moderate flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1972: 6.85 ft, minor flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1973: 6.94 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1974: 6.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1975: 8.51 ft, moderate flooding; 2,650 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1979: 6.81 ft, minor flooding; 1,420 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1980: 8.90 ft, moderate flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1982: 7.65 ft, minor flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1983: 12.18 ft, major flooding; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1984: 10.22 ft, major flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1986: 7.64 ft, minor flooding; 7,200 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1993: 6.99 ft, minor flooding; 2,540 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1995: 9.20 ft, moderate flooding; 3,840 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1997: 6.56 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1998: 6.78 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1999: 7.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2002: 5.90 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2003: 6.27 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2005: 9.29 ft, moderate flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2006: 8.78 ft, moderate flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2011: 6.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2017: 10.67 ft, major flooding; 6,670 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2019: 6.69 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2023: 6.63 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.30 ft, Feb 13, 1962 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Humboldt River near Elko 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 5 1960s: 6 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Elko
1Feb 13, 196212.30+6.10Major7,070
2Mar 4, 198312.18+5.98Major7,100
3Feb 10, 201710.67+4.47Major6,670
4May 17, 198410.22+4.02Major5,790
5Apr 30, 19529.60+3.40Moderate3,860
6May 18, 20059.29+3.09Moderate4,360
7Jun 5, 19959.20+3.00Moderate3,840
8Jun 9, 19458.96+2.76Moderate2,530
9Jun 4, 19808.90+2.70Moderate2,670
10Apr 7, 20068.78+2.58Moderate3,760
11Apr 7, 19698.52+2.32Moderate2,840
12May 22, 19758.51+2.31Moderate2,650
13May 24, 19718.32+2.12Moderate2,430
14Jun 12, 19707.92+1.72Minor2,430
15Jun 12, 19577.79+1.59Minor2,250
16Apr 13, 19827.65+1.45Minor1,970
17Feb 19, 19867.64+1.44Minor7,200
18May 30, 19567.55+1.35Minor2,180
19Jun 19, 19647.37+1.17Minor2,220
20Jun 7, 19637.25+1.05Minor1,910
21Jun 4, 19997.13+0.93Minor2,840
22Jun 23, 19677.00+0.80Minor1,760
23Mar 27, 19936.99+0.79Minor2,540
24May 22, 19736.94+0.74Minor1,550
25Feb 8, 19516.92+0.72Minor1,650
26Mar 3, 19746.90+0.70Minor1,520
27Jun 11, 19726.85+0.65Minor1,660
28May 31, 19796.81+0.61Minor1,420
29Jun 5, 19986.78+0.58Minor2,450
30Jun 9, 20196.69+0.49Minor2,560
31May 27, 20236.63+0.43Minor2,510
32Jun 8, 19976.56+0.36Minor2,260
33Jun 21, 20116.54+0.34Minor2,260
34Apr 23, 19466.53+0.33Minor1,370
35Jun 18, 19656.52+0.32Minor1,670
36May 28, 19586.47+0.27Minor1,620
37May 21, 19496.44+0.24Minor1,380
38Jun 2, 20036.27+0.07Minor1,870
39Jun 10, 19106.17−0.03Action1,910
40Jun 10, 19506.13−0.07Action1,240
41Jun 4, 20025.90−0.30Action1,220
42Jun 7, 19485.68−0.52Action1,020
43Jun 9, 19685.66−0.54Action1,010

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.

February 13, 1962: 12.30 ft here, major flooding

  • CarlinNV · Feb 14, 1962 · 10.23 ft · Major
  • PalisadeNV · Feb 12, 1962 · 10.00 ft · Major

March 4, 1983: 12.18 ft here, major flooding

  • CarlinNV · Mar 5, 1983 · 11.06 ft · Major
  • PalisadeNV · Mar 6, 1983 · 9.75 ft · Major

February 10, 2017: 10.67 ft here, major flooding

  • CarlinNV · Feb 12, 2017 · 10.10 ft · Major
  • PalisadeNV · Feb 12, 2017 · 9.69 ft · Major
  • Battle MountainNV · Feb 15, 2017 · 11.32 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
Elko this gaugeNV6.212.30 ft, Feb 13, 19624
CarlinNV7.012.20 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
Carlin7.012.20 ft, May 17, 19848
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 HREN2, 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.