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Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville

Highest listed crest 29.52 ftFlood stage 17.5 ft29 crests since 1842

The Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1842 to 2025. The highest, 29.52 ft on December 23, 1990, was major flooding, 12.02 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.52 ft
December 23, 1990; 45,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.5 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
7
13th of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2025
19.51 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lincoln County
Tennessee

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville
Action stage14.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.518Mar 16, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.04Feb 6, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.07Dec 23, 1990Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1842 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville, 1842 to 2025 15202530ft Flood stage 17.5 ftMajor 26.0 ft Mar 13, 1842: 27.50 ft, major flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1929: 27.20 ft, major flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1949: 27.20 ft, major floodingFeb 3, 1957: 26.70 ft, major floodingMar 12, 1963: 27.20 ft, major flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1973: 28.60 ft, major flooding; 41,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 22.85 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1990: 29.52 ft, major flooding; 45,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1991: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 2, 1991: 20.74 ft, minor floodingDec 1, 1996: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1997: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1997: 17.51 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 23.60 ft, moderate flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2004: 21.99 ft, minor floodingDec 7, 2004: 20.26 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 2008: 17.77 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2011: 20.15 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 2015: 20.77 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 2018: 20.89 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2019: 24.17 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 2019: 18.47 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 2019: 21.59 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 2020: 24.21 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 2020: 19.70 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2021: 20.86 ft, minor floodingSep 20, 2021: 21.48 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 2022: 21.12 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2025: 19.51 ft, minor flooding Highest, 29.52 ft, Dec 23, 1990 1880192019602000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville 1840s: 1 1850s: 0 1860s: 0 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 2020s: 6 1840s1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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, Elk River (TN) near Fayetteville
1Dec 23, 199029.52+12.02Major45,200
2Mar 16, 197328.60+11.10Major41,600
3Mar 13, 184227.50+10.00Major37,000
4Mar 23, 192927.20+9.70Major36,000
5Jan 5, 194927.20+9.70Major—
6Mar 12, 196327.20+9.70Major36,500
7Feb 3, 195726.70+9.20Major—
8Feb 6, 202024.21+6.71Moderate—
9Feb 24, 201924.17+6.67Moderate—
10Feb 20, 199124.00+6.50Moderate—
11Jan 8, 199823.60+6.10Moderate24,400
12Mar 21, 198022.85+5.35Minor22,200
13Feb 6, 200421.99+4.49Minor—
14Mar 10, 201921.59+4.09Minor—
15Sep 20, 202121.48+3.98Minor—
16Feb 23, 202221.12+3.62Minor—
17Mar 1, 201820.89+3.39Minor—
18Apr 1, 202120.86+3.36Minor—
19Dec 26, 201520.77+3.27Minor—
20Dec 2, 199120.74+3.24Minor—
21Dec 7, 200420.26+2.76Minor—
22Apr 28, 201120.15+2.65Minor—
23Mar 24, 202019.70+2.20Minor—
24Mar 16, 202519.51+2.01Minor—
25Mar 4, 201918.47+0.97Minor—
26Dec 1, 199618.40+0.90Minor13,400
27Mar 3, 199718.40+0.90Minor13,400
28Dec 10, 200817.77+0.27Minor—
29Jun 9, 199717.51+0.01Minor12,100

Lincoln County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Tennessee

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FYTT1, 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.