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Nisqually River at McKenna

Highest listed crest 17.13 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft30 crests since 1951

The Nisqually River at McKenna crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 30 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2025. The highest, 17.13 ft on February 8, 1996, was major flooding, 7.13 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.13 ft
February 8, 1996; 50,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
43rd of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 12, 2025
10.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pierce County
Near Yelm (4.0 mi), Lacey (13.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Nisqually River at McKenna
Action stage8.04Mar 10, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.020Dec 12, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01Jan 29, 1965Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Feb 8, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

30 crests from 1951 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nisqually River at McKenna, 1951 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Feb 11, 1951: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1953: 11.04 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1955: 12.38 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1959: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1959: 11.78 ft, minor flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1961: 10.32 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1964: 9.82 ft, action stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1965: 13.00 ft, moderate flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1967: 9.24 ft, action stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 10.27 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1980: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1982: 10.84 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1990: 11.31 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1991: 11.14 ft, minor flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1994: 10.12 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1995: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 17.13 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2003: 10.58 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2006: 10.26 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 10.47 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2010: 4.99 ft, below flood stage; 4,370 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2011: 8.96 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2012: 5.76 ft, below flood stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2012: 5.96 ft, below flood stage; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2014: 8.58 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2015: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 7,680 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 15,661 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 12.09 ft, minor flooding; 20,467 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2025: 10.08 ft, minor flooding; 14,914 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.13 ft, Feb 8, 1996 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nisqually River at McKenna 1950s: 5 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Nisqually River at McKenna
1Feb 8, 199617.13+7.13Major50,000
2Jan 29, 196513.00+3.00Moderate25,700
3Nov 30, 199512.48+2.48Minor21,200
4Dec 26, 198012.39+2.39Minor21,100
5Dec 12, 195512.38+2.38Minor20,200
6Feb 7, 202012.09+2.09Minor20,467
7Nov 23, 195911.78+1.78Minor20,500
8Jan 10, 199011.31+1.31Minor17,700
9Feb 11, 195111.30+1.30Minor16,900
10Apr 5, 199111.14+1.14Minor17,200
11Dec 10, 195311.04+1.04Minor16,200
12Feb 19, 198210.84+0.84Minor16,200
13Jan 31, 200310.58+0.58Minor16,200
14Jan 1, 199710.52+0.52Minor15,900
15Jan 8, 200910.47+0.47Minor15,900
16Dec 9, 201510.35+0.35Minor15,661
17Feb 22, 196110.32+0.32Minor15,700
18Dec 2, 197710.27+0.27Minor14,600
19Jan 11, 200610.26+0.26Minor15,400
20Jan 24, 195910.20+0.20Minor13,900
21Dec 21, 199410.12+0.12Minor14,400
22Dec 12, 202510.08+0.08Minor14,914
23Jan 25, 19649.82−0.18Action14,300
24Jan 28, 19679.24−0.76Action12,600
25Jan 16, 20118.96−1.04Action12,200
26Mar 10, 20148.58−1.42Action11,300
27Jan 5, 20156.89−3.11Below flood stage7,680
28Nov 19, 20125.96−4.04Below flood stage5,960
29Feb 22, 20125.76−4.24Below flood stage5,620
30May 29, 20104.99−5.01Below flood stage4,370

Other gauges in Pierce County

Flood gauges in Pierce County
Fairfax13.516.93 ft, Nov 6, 20066
Puyallup26.234.15 ft, Dec 18, 19174

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MKNW1, 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.