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Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda

Highest listed crest 14.14 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft22 crests since 1942

The Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1942 to 2022. The highest, 14.14 ft on March 7, 1956, was major flooding, 4.14 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.14 ft
March 7, 1956; 35,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
98th of 160 gauges in New York
Most recent flood crest
November 12, 2022
10.30 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cattaraugus County
New York

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda
Action stage8.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.013Nov 12, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.08Aug 10, 2009Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Mar 7, 1956Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1942 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda, 1942 to 2022 101112131415ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 17, 1942: 13.62 ft, moderate flooding; 32,600 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 1945: 10.63 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1947: 11.94 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1956: 14.14 ft, major flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1957: 11.53 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 12.44 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 10.75 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 10.92 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 10.56 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1967: 12.85 ft, moderate flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 12.17 ft, moderate flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1979: 13.99 ft, moderate flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1984: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 13.02 ft, moderate flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1998: 12.02 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 10.41 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2009: 13.47 ft, moderate flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2013: 11.54 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2017: 10.70 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 2018: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2021: 11.70 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2022: 10.30 ft, minor flooding Highest, 14.14 ft, Mar 7, 1956 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 4 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 2 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda
1Mar 7, 195614.14+4.14Major35,000
2Sep 14, 197913.99+3.99Moderate26,700
3Mar 17, 194213.62+3.62Moderate32,600
4Aug 10, 200913.47+3.47Moderate33,200
5Jan 19, 199613.02+3.02Moderate24,600
6Sep 28, 196712.85+2.85Moderate28,800
7Jan 22, 195912.44+2.44Moderate27,000
8Jun 23, 197212.17+2.17Moderate25,300
9Jun 26, 199812.02+2.02Moderate25,000
10Apr 5, 194711.94+1.94Minor24,700
11Jul 17, 202111.70+1.70Minor22,800
12Jun 18, 198411.57+1.57Minor22,500
13Dec 21, 201311.54+1.54Minor19,200
14Jan 23, 195711.53+1.53Minor22,900
15Jan 12, 201811.23+1.23Minor21,800
16Feb 26, 196110.92+0.92Minor20,400
17Mar 30, 196010.75+0.75Minor19,700
18Jan 12, 201710.70+0.70Minor—
19Oct 2, 194510.63+0.63Minor21,100
20Mar 5, 196410.56+0.56Minor18,900
21Mar 15, 200710.41+0.41Minor16,400
22Nov 12, 202210.30+0.30Minor—

Other gauges in Cattaraugus County

Flood gauges in Cattaraugus County
Olean12.026.20 ft, Jun 23, 19722
Salamanca12.024.01 ft, Jun 23, 19721

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GOWN6, 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.