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Carbon River near Fairfax

Highest listed crest 16.93 ftFlood stage 13.5 ft33 crests since 1932

The Carbon River near Fairfax crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2025. The highest, 16.93 ft on November 6, 2006, was major flooding, 3.43 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.93 ft
November 6, 2006; 14,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.5 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
6
20th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 9, 2025
16.15 ft, major flooding
Location
Pierce County
Near Enumclaw (12.2 mi), Bonney Lake (13.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Carbon River near Fairfax
Action stage11.65Jan 5, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.54Oct 22, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.54Nov 4, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.06Dec 9, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1932 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Carbon River near Fairfax, 1932 to 2025 -505101520ft Flood stage 13.5 ftMajor 15.0 ft Nov 13, 1932: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 7,100 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1933: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1933: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 7,480 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1934: 7.75 ft, below flood stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1953: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 6,860 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1959: 8.56 ft, below flood stage; 9,970 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1965: 6.85 ft, below flood stage; 6,800 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1967: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 7,480 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1974: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 7,180 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1975: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 7,320 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1975: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 7,460 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1977: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1990: -1.00 ft, below flood stage; 13,000 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1995: 15.00 ft, major flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 15.85 ft, major flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1998: 13.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1999: 13.27 ft, action stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2003: 13.34 ft, action stage; 7,310 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2005: 13.91 ft, minor flooding; 7,650 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 2006: 16.93 ft, major flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2008: 15.82 ft, major flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 15.75 ft, major flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2011: 13.57 ft, minor flooding; 7,010 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2012: 12.18 ft, action stage; 4,960 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 2012: 10.68 ft, below flood stage; 2,990 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2013: 12.55 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2014: 14.50 ft, moderate flooding; 9,470 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2015: 12.90 ft, action stage; 6,450 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2015: 14.57 ft, moderate flooding; 9,620 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 14.84 ft, moderate flooding; 10,202 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2017: 13.59 ft, minor flooding; 7,691 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 2022: 14.51 ft, moderate flooding; 9,490 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 16.15 ft, major flooding; 13,131 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.93 ft, Nov 6, 2006 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Carbon River near Fairfax 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 4 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Carbon River near Fairfax
1Nov 6, 200616.93+3.43Major14,500
2Dec 9, 202516.15+2.65Major13,131
3Feb 8, 199615.85+2.35Major12,000
4Nov 12, 200815.82+2.32Major11,700
5Jan 7, 200915.75+2.25Major11,600
6Nov 28, 199515.00+1.50Major10,100
7Dec 9, 201514.84+1.34Moderate10,202
8Oct 31, 201514.57+1.07Moderate9,620
9Nov 4, 202214.51+1.01Moderate9,490
10Nov 25, 201414.50+1.00Moderate9,470
11Jan 18, 200513.91+0.41Minor7,650
12Oct 22, 201713.59+0.09Minor7,691
13Jan 16, 201113.57+0.07Minor7,010
14Dec 29, 199813.51+0.01Minor6,900
15Jan 31, 200313.34−0.16Action7,310
16Nov 25, 199913.27−0.23Action6,470
17Jan 5, 201512.90−0.60Action6,450
18Dec 1, 201312.55−0.95Action5,550
19Feb 22, 201212.18−1.32Action4,960
20Nov 23, 201210.68−2.82Below flood stage2,990
21Dec 9, 193310.20−3.30Below flood stage11,000
22Nov 23, 19598.56−4.94Below flood stage9,970
23Nov 13, 19328.50−5.00Below flood stage7,100
24Dec 21, 19338.10−5.40Below flood stage7,480
25Oct 25, 19347.75−5.75Below flood stage6,500
26Dec 9, 19537.12−6.38Below flood stage6,860
27Jan 29, 19656.85−6.65Below flood stage6,800
28Dec 25, 1967-1.00−14.50Below flood stage7,480
29Jan 15, 1974-1.00−14.50Below flood stage7,180
30Jan 18, 1975-1.00−14.50Below flood stage7,320
31Dec 1, 1975-1.00−14.50Below flood stage7,460
32Dec 1, 1977-1.00−14.50Below flood stage10,000
33Nov 24, 1990-1.00−14.50Below flood stage13,000

Other gauges in Pierce County

Flood gauges in Pierce County
McKenna10.017.13 ft, Feb 8, 19961
Puyallup26.234.15 ft, Dec 18, 19174

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FFXW1, 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.