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Buffalo Creek at Gardenville

Highest listed crest 14.34 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft32 crests since 1937

The Buffalo Creek at Gardenville crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2026. The highest, 14.34 ft on March 21, 1978, was major flooding, 7.34 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.34 ft
March 21, 1978; 7,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
6
24th of 160 gauges in New York
Most recent flood crest
April 1, 2026
7.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Erie County
Near Lackawanna (4.7 mi), Depew (4.7 mi), Buffalo (5.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo Creek at Gardenville
Action stage6.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.07Apr 1, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.019Dec 28, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.06Feb 21, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 1937 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo Creek at Gardenville, 1937 to 2026 6810121416ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft Jun 1, 1937: 10.20 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1942: 8.80 ft, moderate flooding; 9,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1956: 9.42 ft, major flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1957: 8.84 ft, moderate flooding; 9,920 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1961: 8.23 ft, moderate flooding; 8,560 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 8.45 ft, moderate flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1967: 8.50 ft, moderate flooding; 9,150 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1972: 8.89 ft, moderate flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 9.09 ft, major flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1972: 8.12 ft, moderate flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1975: 8.67 ft, moderate flooding; 8,910 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1976: 8.38 ft, moderate flooding; 8,240 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1977: 8.14 ft, moderate flooding; 7,710 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1977: 8.38 ft, moderate flooding; 8,240 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1978: 14.34 ft, major flooding; 7,900 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1979: 14.20 ft, major flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1984: 8.03 ft, moderate flooding; 8,260 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 8.00 ft, moderate flooding; 7,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1996: 12.30 ft, major flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 8.06 ft, moderate flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 8.40 ft, moderate flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2002: 8.17 ft, moderate flooding; 8,180 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2004: 8.71 ft, moderate flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 8.08 ft, moderate flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 8.71 ft, moderate flooding; 9,500 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2009: 7.71 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 2011: 7.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,010 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2012: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2013: 7.78 ft, minor flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 2014: 7.12 ft, minor flooding; 6,091 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2022: 7.26 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2026: 7.77 ft, minor flooding; 7,580 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.34 ft, Mar 21, 1978 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo Creek at Gardenville 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 3 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 5 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Buffalo Creek at Gardenville
1Mar 21, 197814.34+7.34Major7,900
2Mar 5, 197914.20+7.20Major6,150
3Feb 21, 199612.30+5.30Major8,000
4Jun 1, 193710.20+3.20Major16,000
5Mar 7, 19569.42+2.42Major11,300
6Jun 23, 19729.09+2.09Major9,930
7Mar 2, 19728.89+1.89Moderate8,200
8Jan 23, 19578.84+1.84Moderate9,920
9Mar 17, 19428.80+1.80Moderate9,200
10Sep 9, 20048.71+1.71Moderate10,000
11Dec 28, 20088.71+1.71Moderate9,500
12Jan 29, 19758.67+1.67Moderate8,910
13Sep 29, 19678.50+1.50Moderate9,150
14Mar 5, 19648.45+1.45Moderate5,200
15Jan 24, 19998.40+1.40Moderate9,000
16Mar 3, 19768.38+1.38Moderate8,240
17Sep 25, 19778.38+1.38Moderate8,240
18Apr 25, 19618.23+1.23Moderate8,560
19Feb 1, 20028.17+1.17Moderate8,180
20Apr 24, 19778.14+1.14Moderate7,710
21Dec 6, 19728.12+1.12Moderate7,660
22Mar 15, 20078.08+1.08Moderate7,980
23Jan 8, 19988.06+1.06Moderate7,840
24Dec 30, 19848.03+1.03Moderate8,260
25Jan 19, 19968.00+1.00Moderate7,000
26Dec 22, 20137.78+0.78Minor7,410
27Apr 1, 20267.77+0.77Minor7,580
28Mar 8, 20097.71+0.71Minor—
29Feb 18, 20227.26+0.26Minor—
30Oct 30, 20127.12+0.12Minor6,090
31Nov 24, 20147.12+0.12Minor6,091
32Feb 18, 20117.08+0.08Minor6,010

Other gauges in Erie County

Flood gauges in Erie County
Lancaster8.013.35 ft, Jan 23, 19993
Ebenezer10.015.82 ft, Mar 1, 19558
Williamsville8.011.59 ft, Mar 31, 19600
Lake Erie at Sturgeon Point (NOS)8.09.48 ft, Dec 11, 20210
Lake Erie near Buffalo8.012.08 ft, Dec 2, 19853
Rapids12.016.96 ft, Apr 1, 19602

Erie County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New York

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GDVN6, 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.