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North Canadian River near Watonga

Highest listed crest 19.70 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft41 crests since 1986

The North Canadian River near Watonga crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1986 to 2025. The highest, 19.70 ft on August 19, 2007, was major flooding, 4.70 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the North Canadian River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.70 ft
August 19, 2007; 7,220 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
3
61st of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
June 8, 2025
15.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Blaine County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Canadian River near Watonga
Action stage13.015Aug 11, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.019Jun 8, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.03May 26, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.03Aug 19, 2007Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1986 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Canadian River near Watonga, 1986 to 2025 101214161820ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Oct 3, 1986: 19.24 ft, major flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1988: 14.24 ft, action stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1989: 15.19 ft, minor flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1990: 16.41 ft, minor flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 16.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1994: 11.66 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 1995: 14.30 ft, action stageAug 3, 1995: 18.26 ft, major flooding; 5,160 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1996: 15.29 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 1997: 16.03 ft, minor flooding; 3,190 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1997: 14.80 ft, action stageAug 19, 1997: 14.78 ft, action stageMar 16, 1998: 14.86 ft, action stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 15.86 ft, minor flooding; 3,070 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1999: 13.33 ft, action stageMar 23, 2000: 15.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2001: 14.17 ft, action stage; 1,980 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2004: 15.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,990 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2007: 17.32 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 2007: 15.99 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2007: 15.36 ft, minor floodingAug 19, 2007: 19.70 ft, major flooding; 7,220 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 15.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2015: 15.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2015: 14.19 ft, action stage; 1,710 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2016: 14.07 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2017: 14.11 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2017: 16.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,870 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2017: 15.49 ft, minor flooding; 2,340 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2018: 13.18 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2018: 15.67 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 17.08 ft, moderate flooding; 3,490 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 15.27 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 17.51 ft, moderate flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2019: 15.13 ft, minor flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2019: 14.74 ft, action stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2020: 13.98 ft, action stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2021: 14.25 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2023: 15.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,780 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2024: 14.68 ft, action stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2025: 15.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,830 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.70 ft, Aug 19, 2007 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Canadian River near Watonga 1980s: 2 1990s: 6 2000s: 7 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, North Canadian River near Watonga
1Aug 19, 200719.70+4.70Major7,220
2Oct 3, 198619.24+4.24Major6,180
3Aug 3, 199518.26+3.26Major5,160
4May 26, 201917.51+2.51Moderate3,720
5Jun 14, 200717.32+2.32Moderate—
6May 8, 201917.08+2.08Moderate3,490
7May 9, 199316.64+1.64Minor3,720
8Apr 23, 199016.41+1.41Minor4,220
9Apr 29, 201716.09+1.09Minor2,870
10Apr 11, 199716.03+1.03Minor3,190
11Jun 20, 200715.99+0.99Minor—
12May 23, 201515.95+0.95Minor2,840
13Apr 24, 199915.86+0.86Minor3,070
14Mar 4, 200415.76+0.76Minor2,990
15Oct 8, 201815.67+0.67Minor2,450
16Mar 23, 200015.66+0.66Minor2,920
17Oct 4, 201715.49+0.49Minor2,340
18Jun 29, 200715.36+0.36Minor—
19Sep 19, 199615.29+0.29Minor—
20Jun 9, 200815.28+0.28Minor2,500
21May 22, 201915.27+0.27Minor1,870
22Jun 8, 202515.23+0.23Minor1,830
23Jun 6, 198915.19+0.19Minor2,980
24Jul 9, 202315.19+0.19Minor1,780
25Jun 7, 201915.13+0.13Minor1,800
26Mar 16, 199814.86−0.14Action2,370
27Aug 10, 199714.80−0.20Action—
28Aug 19, 199714.78−0.22Action—
29Jun 17, 201914.74−0.26Action1,620
30Aug 11, 202414.68−0.32Action1,590
31Jun 9, 199514.30−0.70Action—
32Mar 13, 202114.25−0.75Action1,520
33Sep 18, 198814.24−0.76Action1,940
34Jun 13, 201514.19−0.81Action1,710
35May 30, 200114.17−0.83Action1,980
36Mar 29, 201714.11−0.89Action1,640
37Jun 28, 201614.07−0.93Action1,660
38Jul 28, 202013.98−1.02Action1,430
39Dec 9, 199913.33−1.67Action—
40Sep 21, 201813.18−1.82Action1,150
41Sep 25, 199411.66−3.34Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the North Canadian River

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

August 19, 2007: 19.70 ft here, major flooding

October 3, 1986: 19.24 ft here, major flooding

May 26, 2019: 17.51 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the North Canadian River

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

Flood gauges on the North Canadian River
Britton Road at Oklahoma CityOK17.024.80 ft, May 9, 19930
NW10th Street at Oklahoma CityOK24.040.90 ft, Oct 15, 19235
WoodwardOK10.015.85 ft, Oct 12, 19236
El RenoOK17.023.33 ft, Aug 20, 20073
HarrahOK14.021.90 ft, May 9, 199311
SeilingOK11.016.40 ft, Oct 13, 19235
ShawneeOK18.020.90 ft, May 10, 19930
Watonga this gaugeOK15.019.70 ft, Aug 19, 20073
WetumkaOK24.031.40 ft, Apr 15, 19450
WoodwardOK9.010.72 ft, May 23, 19890
YukonOK14.019.20 ft, Jun 10, 19951

Blaine County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oklahoma

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WATO2, 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.