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Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam)

Highest listed crest 15.87 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft91 crests since 1925

The Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam) crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 91 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1925 to 2020. The highest, 15.87 ft on March 15, 1982, was major flooding, 1.87 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Maumee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.87 ft
March 15, 1982; 104,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
1
46th of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
February 25, 1985
14.19 ft, minor flooding
Location
Defiance County
Near Defiance (4.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam)
Action stage12.011Jun 29, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.01Feb 25, 1985Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.01Mar 15, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

91 crests from 1925 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam), 1925 to 2020 05101520ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Mar 15, 1925: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 47,100 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1926: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 55,500 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1927: 9.23 ft, below flood stage; 52,400 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1927: 7.83 ft, below flood stage; 39,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1929: 8.54 ft, below flood stage; 46,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1930: 12.90 ft, action stage; 79,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1931: 4.30 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1932: 7.06 ft, below flood stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1933: 8.04 ft, below flood stage; 41,300 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1934: 5.93 ft, below flood stage; 23,700 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1935: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 28,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 29, 1936: 9.40 ft, below flood stage; 53,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1939: 9.77 ft, below flood stage; 58,800 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1940: 8.78 ft, below flood stage; 42,500 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1941: 3.80 ft, below flood stage; 8,550 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1942: 7.93 ft, below flood stage; 43,200 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1943: 13.10 ft, action stage; 80,800 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1944: 11.05 ft, below flood stage; 65,900 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1945: 8.40 ft, below flood stage; 46,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1946: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 30,100 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1947: 7.77 ft, below flood stage; 41,600 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1948: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 50,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1949: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 43,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1950: 13.70 ft, action stage; 87,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1951: 9.23 ft, below flood stage; 52,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 80,500 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1953: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1954: 5.25 ft, below flood stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1955: 8.13 ft, below flood stage; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1956: 7.20 ft, below flood stage; 36,100 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1957: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 55,500 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 36,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1959: 12.35 ft, action stage; 76,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1960: 7.37 ft, below flood stage; 37,800 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1961: 8.18 ft, below flood stage; 44,600 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1962: 7.90 ft, below flood stage; 42,400 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1963: 6.81 ft, below flood stage; 32,400 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1964: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 42,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1965: 6.71 ft, below flood stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1966: 5.37 ft, below flood stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1966: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 66,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1968: 9.30 ft, below flood stage; 53,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1969: 10.28 ft, below flood stage; 60,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1970: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 31,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1971: 7.29 ft, below flood stage; 37,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1972: 7.74 ft, below flood stage; 41,100 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1972: 7.33 ft, below flood stage; 37,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1974: 10.35 ft, below flood stage; 61,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1975: 8.12 ft, below flood stage; 44,100 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1979: 9.47 ft, below flood stage; 54,500 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1980: 8.45 ft, below flood stage; 46,700 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 12.35 ft, action stage; 76,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1982: 15.87 ft, major flooding; 104,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1983: 8.21 ft, below flood stage; 44,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 49,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1985: 14.19 ft, minor flooding; 93,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1986: 7.52 ft, below flood stage; 38,700 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1986: 6.68 ft, below flood stage; 31,200 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1988: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1989: 7.29 ft, below flood stage; 36,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1990: 9.20 ft, below flood stage; 52,400 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1991: 13.28 ft, action stage; 83,700 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1992: 7.06 ft, below flood stage; 34,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1993: 9.73 ft, below flood stage; 56,400 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1994: 9.32 ft, below flood stage; 53,300 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1995: 7.91 ft, below flood stage; 42,400 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 8.29 ft, below flood stage; 45,400 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 10.37 ft, below flood stage; 61,300 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1998: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 50,100 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 11.73 ft, below flood stage; 71,700 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2000: 6.23 ft, below flood stage; 25,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2001: 7.77 ft, below flood stage; 41,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2002: 8.56 ft, below flood stage; 47,500 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 55,500 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2004: 9.55 ft, below flood stageJan 14, 2005: 13.20 ft, action stage; 83,100 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2005: 8.18 ft, below flood stage; 44,600 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2007: 9.92 ft, below flood stage; 57,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2008: 13.97 ft, action stage; 89,100 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2009: 12.99 ft, action stage; 81,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2010: 7.11 ft, below flood stage; 34,200 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2011: 11.79 ft, below flood stage; 72,100 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2011: 12.02 ft, action stage; 73,900 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2013: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 49,100 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2013: 9.18 ft, below flood stage; 52,200 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2015: 13.12 ft, action stage; 79,900 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2015: 8.43 ft, below flood stage; 46,200 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2017: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 57,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 49,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2019: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 49,900 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 9.74 ft, below flood stage; 55,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.87 ft, Mar 15, 1982 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam) 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 91 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Maumee River near Defiance (Independence Dam)
1Mar 15, 198215.87+1.87Major104,000
2Feb 25, 198514.19+0.19Minor93,500
3Feb 8, 200813.97−0.03Action89,100
4Feb 16, 195013.70−0.30Action87,100
5Jan 1, 199113.28−0.72Action83,700
6Jan 14, 200513.20−0.80Action83,100
7Jun 29, 201513.12−0.88Action79,900
8May 19, 194313.10−0.90Action80,800
9Mar 11, 200912.99−1.01Action81,500
10Jan 16, 193012.90−1.10Action79,400
11Feb 12, 195912.35−1.65Action76,500
12Jun 15, 198112.35−1.65Action76,500
13Dec 1, 201112.02−1.98Action73,900
14May 27, 201111.79−2.21Below flood stage72,100
15Jan 24, 199911.73−2.27Below flood stage71,700
16Apr 13, 194411.05−2.95Below flood stage65,900
17Dec 10, 196611.00−3.00Below flood stage66,100
18Mar 1, 199710.37−3.63Below flood stage61,300
19Jan 22, 197410.35−3.65Below flood stage61,200
20Feb 1, 196910.28−3.72Below flood stage60,600
21May 6, 20179.97−4.03Below flood stage57,400
22Aug 23, 20079.92−4.08Below flood stage57,900
23Mar 14, 19399.77−4.23Below flood stage58,800
24May 20, 20209.74−4.26Below flood stage55,800
25Jan 6, 19939.73−4.27Below flood stage56,400
26May 11, 20039.60−4.40Below flood stage55,500
27Apr 9, 19269.58−4.42Below flood stage55,500
28Apr 7, 19579.55−4.45Below flood stage55,500
29Jun 15, 20049.55−4.45Below flood stage—
30Mar 6, 19799.47−4.53Below flood stage54,500
31Feb 29, 19369.40−4.60Below flood stage53,900
32Apr 13, 19949.32−4.68Below flood stage53,300
33Feb 2, 19689.30−4.70Below flood stage53,200
34Mar 22, 19279.23−4.77Below flood stage52,400
35Feb 23, 19519.23−4.77Below flood stage52,400
36Feb 24, 19909.20−4.80Below flood stage52,400
37Dec 24, 20139.18−4.82Below flood stage52,200
38Mar 13, 19528.96−5.04Below flood stage80,500
39May 18, 20198.93−5.07Below flood stage49,900
40Mar 23, 19488.90−5.10Below flood stage50,100
41Apr 11, 19988.90−5.10Below flood stage50,100
42Feb 14, 19848.83−5.17Below flood stage49,600
43Feb 22, 20188.80−5.20Below flood stage49,000
44Mar 5, 19408.78−5.22Below flood stage42,500
45Jan 14, 20138.77−5.23Below flood stage49,100
46Feb 2, 20028.56−5.44Below flood stage47,500
47Feb 28, 19298.54−5.46Below flood stage46,000
48Mar 15, 19258.50−5.50Below flood stage47,100
49Jun 4, 19808.45−5.55Below flood stage46,700
50Dec 30, 20158.43−5.57Below flood stage46,200

The worst floods along the Maumee River

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

March 15, 1982: 15.87 ft here, major flooding

  • New HavenIN · Mar 17, 1982 · 25.49 ft · Major · its highest
  • Grand RapidsOH · Mar 14, 1982 · 22.75 ft · Major
  • DefianceOH · Mar 15, 1982 · 20.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • NapoleonOH · Mar 15, 1982 · 17.54 ft · Major
  • Fort WayneIN · Mar 17, 1982 · 25.93 ft · Moderate
  • WatervilleOH · Mar 14, 1982 · 14.96 ft · Minor

February 25, 1985: 14.19 ft here, minor flooding

  • Fort WayneIN · Feb 27, 1985 · 24.55 ft · Moderate
  • DefianceOH · Feb 25, 1985 · 18.50 ft · Moderate
  • NapoleonOH · Feb 26, 1985 · 15.99 ft · Moderate
  • WatervilleOH · Feb 26, 1985 · 15.21 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Maumee River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Maumee River
Coliseum Blvd In Fort WayneIN17.023.72 ft, Mar 13, 20090
Fort WayneIN17.026.10 ft, Mar 26, 19131
Grand RapidsOH17.525.00 ft, Mar 7, 19048
NapoleonOH12.025.00 ft, Mar 27, 19137
New HavenIN17.025.49 ft, Mar 17, 19821
WatervilleOH11.019.90 ft, Mar 28, 19132
DefianceOH10.020.50 ft, Mar 15, 19821
Defiance (Independence Dam) this gaugeOH14.015.87 ft, Mar 15, 19821

Other gauges in Defiance County

Flood gauges in Defiance County
Defiance21.029.70 ft, Jan 16, 193713
Defiance10.020.50 ft, Mar 15, 19821
Newville12.017.98 ft, Mar 12, 20095

Defiance County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Ohio

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DFNO1, 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.