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Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville

Highest listed crest 28.10 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft14 crests since 1981

The Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1981 to 2015. The highest, 28.10 ft on October 1, 1981, was major flooding, 6.10 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.10 ft
October 1, 1981
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
3
187th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
June 18, 2015
22.29 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cooke County
Near Gainesville (1.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville
Action stage20.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.06Jun 18, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.01May 8, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.03Jun 18, 2007Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1981 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville, 1981 to 2015 15202530ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Oct 1, 1981: 28.10 ft, major floodingApr 3, 1986: 19.59 ft, below flood stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1987: 19.77 ft, below flood stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1989: 25.33 ft, major flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1990: 22.80 ft, minor flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1991: 18.70 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 22.72 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1993: 17.02 ft, below flood stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1997: 22.69 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2007: 28.01 ft, major flooding; 72,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2007: 22.02 ft, minor flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2015: 24.47 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2015: 22.15 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2015: 22.29 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.10 ft, Oct 1, 1981 199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Elm Fork Trinity River at Gainesville
1Oct 1, 198128.10+6.10Major—
2Jun 18, 200728.01+6.01Major72,000
3May 16, 198925.33+3.33Major24,000
4May 8, 201524.47+2.47Moderate21,500
5May 2, 199022.80+0.80Minor21,300
6May 9, 199322.72+0.72Minor21,100
7Feb 20, 199722.69+0.69Minor21,000
8Jun 18, 201522.29+0.29Minor16,100
9May 20, 201522.15+0.15Minor15,900
10Jun 30, 200722.02+0.02Minor19,200
11May 28, 198719.77−2.23Below flood stage10,500
12Apr 3, 198619.59−2.41Below flood stage10,300
13Dec 20, 199118.70−3.30Below flood stage11,300
14Oct 19, 199317.02−4.98Below flood stage8,190

The worst floods along the Elm Fork Trinity River

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

May 16, 1989: 25.33 ft here, major flooding

May 2, 1990: 22.80 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Elm Fork Trinity River

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

Flood gauges on the Elm Fork Trinity River
Gainesville this gaugeTX22.028.10 ft, Oct 1, 19813
CarrolltonTX9.019.00 ft, May 25, 19087

Cooke County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GLLT2, 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.