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Virgin River near Bloomington

Highest listed crest 30.00 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft23 crests since 1978

The Virgin River near Bloomington crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1978 to 2013. The highest, 30.00 ft on January 1, 1989, was major flooding, 14.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.00 ft
January 1, 1989; 60,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.4 ft
Crests at major
9
1st of 40 gauges in Utah
Most recent flood crest
December 21, 2011
24.70 ft, major flooding
Location
Washington County
Near St. George (0.6 mi), Washington (6.6 mi), Ivins (8.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Virgin River near Bloomington
Action stage15.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.49Dec 21, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1978 to 2013. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Virgin River near Bloomington, 1978 to 2013 0102030ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 17.4 ft Mar 5, 1978: 25.30 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1980: 22.30 ft, major flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1989: 30.00 ft, major flooding; 60,000 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1991: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1992: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 4,180 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1993: 6.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1995: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1995: 9.45 ft, below flood stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 9.58 ft, below flood stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1998: 9.62 ft, below flood stage; 5,250 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1999: 7.13 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2000: 4.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2002: 5.88 ft, below flood stage; 2,310 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 2003: 8.81 ft, below flood stage; 4,490 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2004: 18.00 ft, major flooding; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2005: 26.70 ft, major flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2007: 18.78 ft, major flooding; 5,100 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2008: 17.80 ft, major flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2010: 24.70 ft, major flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2011: 24.70 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2012: 12.50 ft, below flood stage; 5,410 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2013: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,220 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.00 ft, Jan 1, 1989 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Virgin River near Bloomington 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Virgin River near Bloomington
1Jan 1, 198930.00+14.00Major60,000
2Jan 11, 200526.70+10.70Major19,600
3Mar 5, 197825.30+9.30Major17,000
4Apr 21, 201024.70+8.70Major25,100
5Dec 21, 201124.70+8.70Major15,100
6Feb 15, 198022.30+6.30Major10,000
7Aug 2, 200718.78+2.78Major5,100
8Aug 13, 200418.00+2.00Major3,570
9Jan 5, 200817.80+1.80Major4,000
10Sep 11, 201212.50−3.50Below flood stage5,410
11Mar 6, 199411.72−4.28Below flood stage8,170
12Mar 6, 199511.72−4.28Below flood stage8,170
13Jul 29, 201310.20−5.80Below flood stage3,220
14Sep 11, 19989.62−6.38Below flood stage5,250
15Jan 3, 19979.58−6.42Below flood stage5,240
16Nov 1, 19959.45−6.55Below flood stage5,080
17Aug 15, 20038.81−7.19Below flood stage4,490
18Aug 23, 19928.16−7.84Below flood stage4,180
19Aug 31, 19997.13−8.87Below flood stage3,100
20Oct 7, 19936.73−9.27Below flood stage2,560
21Sep 7, 20025.88−10.12Below flood stage2,310
22Sep 7, 19914.94−11.06Below flood stage1,320
23Oct 30, 20004.42−11.58Below flood stage1,430

Gauges on the Virgin River

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

Flood gauges on the Virgin River
VirginUT18.919.60 ft, Dec 22, 20100
Bloomington this gaugeUT16.030.00 ft, Jan 1, 19899
LittlefieldAZ19.019.82 ft, Dec 21, 20100

Other gauges in Washington County

Flood gauges in Washington County
St. George13.915.00 ft, Jan 12, 20051
Virgin18.919.60 ft, Dec 22, 20100
near Gunlock5.814.20 ft, Aug 1, 20073

Washington County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Utah

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VRBU1, 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.