Allegheny River at Eldred

Highest listed crest 29.10 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft12 crests since 1940

The Allegheny River at Eldred crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 1996. The highest, 29.10 ft on June 23, 1972, was major flooding, 6.10 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the Allegheny River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 29.10 ft; June 23, 1972; 65,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 23.0 ft; Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major: 2; 82nd of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest: June 23, 1972; 29.10 ft, major flooding
Location: McKean County; Near Olean (8.7 mi)
Identifiers: NWS ELRP1; USGS 03010500

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Allegheny River at Eldred

Action stage	17.0	10	Jan 20, 1996	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	23.0	0	—	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	25.0	0	—	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	27.0	2	Jun 23, 1972	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1940 to 1996. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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, Allegheny River at Eldred

1	Jun 23, 1972	29.10	+6.10	Major	65,800
2	Jul 19, 1942	27.30	+4.30	Major	51,300
3	Jan 20, 1996	21.89	−1.11	Action	20,700
4	Mar 9, 1956	20.60	−2.40	Action	—
5	Jun 23, 1959	20.10	−2.90	Action	—
6	Jun 22, 1989	19.60	−3.40	Action	—
7	Mar 6, 1964	19.00	−4.00	Action	—
8	Feb 16, 1984	18.70	−4.30	Action	—
9	Apr 5, 1940	18.48	−4.52	Action	—
10	Feb 21, 1981	18.40	−4.60	Action	—
11	Feb 19, 1976	18.10	−4.90	Action	—
12	Mar 11, 1964	17.50	−5.50	Action	—

The worst floods along the Allegheny River

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

June 23, 1972: 29.10 ft here, major flooding

Natrona Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 27.50 ft · Major
Sharpsburg Lock and DamPA · Jun 24, 1972 · 26.90 ft · Major · its highest
OleanNY · Jun 23, 1972 · 26.20 ft · Major · its highest
SalamancaNY · Jun 23, 1972 · 24.01 ft · Major · its highest
Kittanning Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 23.70 ft · Major
Freeport Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 24.50 ft · Moderate
Clinton Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 22.00 ft · Moderate
Mosgrove Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 21.70 ft · Moderate
C.W. Bill Young Lock and DamPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 20.90 ft · Moderate
ParkerPA · Jun 23, 1972 · 22.30 ft · Minor

July 19, 1942: 27.30 ft here, major flooding

OleanNY · Jul 19, 1942 · 23.30 ft · Major
SalamancaNY · Jul 20, 1942 · 14.55 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Allegheny River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Allegheny River

Eldred this gauge	PA	23.0	29.10 ft, Jun 23, 1972	2
Olean	NY	12.0	26.20 ft, Jun 23, 1972	2
Salamanca	NY	12.0	24.01 ft, Jun 23, 1972	1
Warren	PA	14.0	19.40 ft, Mar 17, 1865	6
West Hickory	PA	14.0	17.83 ft, Jan 25, 1964	3
Franklin	PA	17.0	26.00 ft, Feb 27, 1917	3
Parker	PA	20.0	29.60 ft, Jan 22, 1959	2
Rimer Lock and Dam	PA	19.0	21.80 ft, Jan 22, 1959	0
Mosgrove Lock and Dam	PA	19.0	27.70 ft, Mar 10, 1964	2
Kittanning Lock and Dam	PA	21.0	30.70 ft, Mar 26, 1913	6
Clinton Lock and Dam	PA	21.0	26.40 ft, Mar 18, 1936	1
Freeport Lock and Dam	PA	23.0	33.30 ft, Mar 18, 1936	1
Natrona Lock and Dam	PA	21.0	32.10 ft, Mar 18, 1936	5
C.W. Bill Young Lock and Dam	PA	17.0	31.10 ft, Mar 18, 1936	2
Sharpsburg Lock and Dam	PA	21.0	26.90 ft, Jun 24, 1972	1

McKean County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Pennsylvania

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ELRP1, 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.