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Otter Creek at Center Rutland

Highest listed crest 17.21 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft120 crests since 1929

The Otter Creek at Center Rutland crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 120 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2025. The highest, 17.21 ft on August 29, 2011, was major flooding, 9.21 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Otter Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.21 ft
August 29, 2011; 19,053 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
8
6th of 28 gauges in Vermont
Most recent flood crest
May 11, 2025
9.97 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rutland County
Near Rutland (1.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Otter Creek at Center Rutland
Action stage6.014Apr 3, 2004The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.066May 11, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.025Dec 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.08Jul 11, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

120 crests from 1929 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Otter Creek at Center Rutland, 1929 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Apr 26, 1929: 8.45 ft, minor flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1930: 5.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1931: 7.96 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1932: 6.71 ft, action stage; 3,350 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1933: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,470 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1934: 8.66 ft, minor flooding; 5,990 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1935: 9.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,350 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1936: 10.84 ft, moderate flooding; 8,580 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1937: 7.72 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1939: 8.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,250 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 8.76 ft, minor flooding; 6,760 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1940: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1941: 6.73 ft, action stage; 5,220 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1942: 7.78 ft, action stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1943: 6.04 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1944: 7.52 ft, action stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1945: 9.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1946: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,920 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1947: 8.44 ft, minor flooding; 5,980 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1947: 11.51 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 7,590 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1948: 11.45 ft, moderate flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1950: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1950: 8.07 ft, minor flooding; 5,530 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1952: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 5,650 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1952: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1953: 8.26 ft, minor flooding; 5,760 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1953: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 7,730 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1954: 5.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1955: 7.04 ft, action stage; 4,390 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1956: 9.68 ft, minor flooding; 7,530 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1957: 6.05 ft, action stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1958: 9.99 ft, minor flooding; 7,280 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 5,030 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1959: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 6,350 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1960: 10.26 ft, moderate flooding; 7,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1961: 5.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,920 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1962: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 5,520 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1962: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 4,960 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1963: 6.97 ft, action stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1964: 9.48 ft, minor flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1964: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1965: 4.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1966: 6.50 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1967: 9.85 ft, minor flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1969: 10.41 ft, moderate flooding; 6,430 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 10.71 ft, moderate flooding; 6,870 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1969: 11.34 ft, moderate flooding; 7,810 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1970: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1970: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1971: 7.09 ft, action stage; 3,080 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1972: 10.07 ft, moderate flooding; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1973: 8.93 ft, minor flooding; 4,550 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1973: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1973: 13.25 ft, major flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1973: 8.83 ft, minor flooding; 4,460 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1973: 10.29 ft, moderate flooding; 5,940 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1974: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 4,020 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1975: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1975: 9.19 ft, minor flooding; 4,790 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1976: 9.99 ft, minor flooding; 5,600 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 10.16 ft, moderate flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1976: 8.76 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1976: 10.54 ft, moderate flooding; 6,240 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1976: 12.70 ft, major flooding; 9,420 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 12.64 ft, major flooding; 9,310 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1977: 10.28 ft, moderate flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1977: 9.44 ft, minor flooding; 5,040 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1977: 8.74 ft, minor flooding; 4,390 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 9.99 ft, minor flooding; 5,650 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1980: 8.51 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1981: 11.05 ft, moderate flooding; 6,910 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1982: 10.33 ft, moderate flooding; 6,040 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,960 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1983: 10.32 ft, moderate flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 10.90 ft, moderate flooding; 6,720 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1984: 8.02 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 12.00 ft, major flooding; 8,340 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1985: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1986: 10.81 ft, moderate flooding; 6,600 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1986: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 4,020 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1987: 13.01 ft, major flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1988: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 5,170 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1989: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1990: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1994: 10.32 ft, moderate flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1995: 5.98 ft, below flood stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1995: 0.10 ft, below flood stage; 40 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 11.06 ft, moderate flooding; 7,100 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1996: 10.78 ft, moderate flooding; 6,740 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1996: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,920 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1996: 8.93 ft, minor flooding; 4,630 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1998: 11.21 ft, moderate flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1998: 10.73 ft, moderate flooding; 6,680 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1999: 7.72 ft, action stage; 3,540 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2000: 8.44 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2000: 8.77 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2000: 11.32 ft, moderate flooding; 7,430 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2002: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 5,570 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2003: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 4,300 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2003: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 4,405 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2004: 7.98 ft, action stage; 3,764 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 10.97 ft, moderate flooding; 6,983 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2008: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 3,896 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2008: 9.79 ft, minor flooding; 5,106 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2010: 8.83 ft, minor flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 2010: 9.58 ft, minor flooding; 4,920 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2011: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,726 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 4,176 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 17.21 ft, major flooding; 19,053 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 9.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,223 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2018: 8.63 ft, minor flooding; 4,268 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2018: 9.89 ft, minor flooding; 5,472 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2019: 12.34 ft, major flooding; 9,042 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 9.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,267 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2023: 16.36 ft, major flooding; 14,369 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 11.10 ft, moderate flooding; 7,246 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2024: 9.69 ft, minor flooding; 5,245 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2025: 8.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,436 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2025: 9.97 ft, minor flooding; 5,565 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.21 ft, Aug 29, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Otter Creek at Center Rutland 1920s: 1 1930s: 5 1940s: 8 1950s: 10 1960s: 9 1970s: 21 21 1980s: 13 1990s: 8 2000s: 9 2010s: 9 2020s: 6 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 13.45 ft on Sep 22, 1938.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 120 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Otter Creek at Center Rutland
1Aug 29, 201117.21+9.21Major19,053
2Jul 11, 202316.36+8.36Major14,369
3Jun 30, 197313.25+5.25Major10,500
4Apr 6, 198713.01+5.01Major10,100
5Aug 11, 197612.70+4.70Major9,420
6Mar 14, 197712.64+4.64Major9,310
7Apr 16, 201912.34+4.34Major9,042
8May 30, 198412.00+4.00Major8,340
9Jun 3, 194711.51+3.51Moderate10,100
10Dec 31, 194811.45+3.45Moderate10,000
11Apr 23, 196911.34+3.34Moderate7,810
12Dec 17, 200011.32+3.32Moderate7,430
13Jan 8, 199811.21+3.21Moderate7,290
14Dec 19, 202311.10+3.10Moderate7,246
15Jan 20, 199611.06+3.06Moderate7,100
16Feb 21, 198111.05+3.05Moderate6,910
17Apr 3, 200510.97+2.97Moderate6,983
18Dec 14, 198310.90+2.90Moderate6,720
19Mar 18, 193610.84+2.84Moderate8,580
20Mar 20, 198610.81+2.81Moderate6,600
21Apr 24, 199610.78+2.78Moderate6,740
22Mar 29, 199810.73+2.73Moderate6,680
23Apr 19, 196910.71+2.71Moderate6,870
24Jul 12, 197610.54+2.54Moderate6,240
25Apr 11, 196910.41+2.41Moderate6,430
26Apr 18, 198210.33+2.33Moderate6,040
27May 3, 198310.32+2.32Moderate6,030
28Apr 14, 199410.32+2.32Moderate6,190
29Dec 27, 197310.29+2.29Moderate5,940
30Mar 31, 197710.28+2.28Moderate5,930
31Apr 5, 196010.26+2.26Moderate7,690
32Apr 2, 197610.16+2.16Moderate5,790
33May 5, 197210.07+2.07Moderate5,960
34Apr 22, 19589.99+1.99Minor7,280
35Jan 28, 19769.99+1.99Minor5,600
36Mar 7, 19799.99+1.99Minor5,650
37May 11, 20259.97+1.97Minor5,565
38Dec 23, 20189.89+1.89Minor5,472
39Apr 3, 19679.85+1.85Minor5,680
40Mar 27, 19539.83+1.83Minor7,730
41Jun 2, 19529.79+1.79Minor7,680
42Apr 14, 20029.79+1.79Minor5,570
43Mar 9, 20089.79+1.79Minor5,106
44Mar 22, 19489.72+1.72Minor7,590
45Dec 26, 20209.71+1.71Minor5,267
46Mar 8, 20249.69+1.69Minor5,245
47Apr 30, 19569.68+1.68Minor7,530
48Apr 16, 20149.67+1.67Minor5,223
49Oct 1, 20109.58+1.58Minor4,920
50Apr 29, 19889.53+1.53Minor5,170

The worst floods along the Otter Creek

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

August 29, 2011: 17.21 ft here, major flooding

July 11, 2023: 16.36 ft here, major flooding

April 6, 1987: 13.01 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Otter Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Otter Creek
Center Rutland this gaugeVT8.017.21 ft, Aug 29, 20118
MiddleburyVT6.513.30 ft, Nov 4, 19270

Other gauges in Rutland County

Flood gauges in Rutland County
West Bridgewater6.514.95 ft, Aug 28, 20111

Rutland County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Vermont

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CENV1, 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.