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Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool)

Highest listed crest 44.40 ftFlood stage 32.0 ft28 crests since 1963

The Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool) crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1963 to 2019. The highest, 44.40 ft on November 5, 1985, was major flooding, 12.40 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Monongahela River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
44.40 ft
November 5, 1985
Flood stage
32.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
5
44th of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
July 30, 2017
33.32 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fayette County
Pennsylvania

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool)
Action stage23.516Feb 17, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)32.04Jul 30, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage34.01Mar 20, 1963Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.05Feb 19, 2000Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1963 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool), 1963 to 2019 202530354045ft Flood stage 32.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Mar 5, 1963: 38.00 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1963: 35.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 14, 1966: 30.10 ft, action stageMar 7, 1967: 38.20 ft, major floodingMay 8, 1967: 29.10 ft, action stageMay 25, 1968: 32.50 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 1972: 32.60 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1974: 31.20 ft, action stageJan 26, 1978: 31.30 ft, action stageDec 9, 1978: 29.50 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1979: 29.30 ft, action stageAug 19, 1980: 29.40 ft, action stageJun 6, 1981: 28.90 ft, action stageNov 5, 1985: 44.40 ft, major floodingJan 29, 1994: 29.60 ft, action stageFeb 10, 1994: 32.30 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 1996: 37.80 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 2000: 36.50 ft, major flooding; 147,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2003: 26.80 ft, action stage; 87,400 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 31.40 ft, action stage; 113,000 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2007: 29.40 ft, action stage; 101,652 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2008: 23.90 ft, action stage; 72,050 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2009: 27.30 ft, action stage; 90,033 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 30.89 ft, action stage; 110,276 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2015: 21.50 ft, below flood stage; 60,566 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2017: 33.32 ft, minor flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2018: 30.81 ft, action stage; 106,057 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 20.68 ft, below flood stage; 59,154 cubic feet per second Highest, 44.40 ft, Nov 5, 1985 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool) 1960s: 4 4 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Monongahela River at Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool)
1Nov 5, 198544.40+12.40Major—
2Mar 7, 196738.20+6.20Major—
3Mar 5, 196338.00+6.00Major—
4Jan 20, 199637.80+5.80Major—
5Feb 19, 200036.50+4.50Major147,500
6Mar 20, 196335.40+3.40Moderate—
7Jul 30, 201733.32+1.32Minor125,000
8Jun 24, 197232.60+0.60Minor—
9May 25, 196832.50+0.50Minor—
10Feb 10, 199432.30+0.30Minor—
11Nov 20, 200331.40−0.60Action113,000
12Jan 26, 197831.30−0.70Action—
13Jun 11, 197431.20−0.80Action—
14Mar 5, 201530.89−1.11Action110,276
15Feb 17, 201830.81−1.19Action106,057
16Feb 14, 196630.10−1.90Action—
17Jan 29, 199429.60−2.40Action—
18Dec 9, 197829.50−2.50Action—
19Aug 19, 198029.40−2.60Action—
20Dec 14, 200729.40−2.60Action101,652
21Feb 26, 197929.30−2.70Action—
22May 8, 196729.10−2.90Action—
23Jun 6, 198128.90−3.10Action—
24May 5, 200927.30−4.70Action90,033
25Feb 24, 200326.80−5.20Action87,400
26Jun 5, 200823.90−8.10Action72,050
27Mar 15, 201521.50−10.50Below flood stage60,566
28Feb 8, 201920.68−11.32Below flood stage59,154

The worst floods along the Monongahela River

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

November 5, 1985: 44.40 ft here, major flooding

March 7, 1967: 38.20 ft here, major flooding

March 5, 1963: 38.00 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Monongahela River

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

Flood gauges on the Monongahela River
Morgantown Lock and DamWV22.027.70 ft, Nov 6, 19851
Point Marion Lock and Dam (lower pool)PA26.034.00 ft, Jan 19, 19967
Grays Landing Lock and DamPA21.036.00 ft, Jul 1, 18883
Maxwell Lock and Dam (lower pool) this gaugePA32.044.40 ft, Nov 5, 19855
Charleroi Lock and DamPA28.042.70 ft, Nov 5, 198514
Elizabeth Lock and DamPA20.032.50 ft, Mar 18, 19369
Braddock Lock and DamPA22.035.30 ft, Mar 18, 19368

Other gauges in Fayette County

Flood gauges in Fayette County
Connellsville12.021.96 ft, Oct 16, 19545

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MAXP1, 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.