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Similkameen River near Nighthawk

Highest listed crest 17.97 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft97 crests since 1929

The Similkameen River near Nighthawk crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 97 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 17.97 ft on June 1, 1972, was major flooding, 3.97 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.97 ft
June 1, 1972; 45,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
2
36th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
November 16, 2021
14.38 ft, minor flooding
Location
Okanogan County
Washington

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Similkameen River near Nighthawk
Action stage13.011May 13, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.08Nov 16, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.04May 11, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.02Jun 1, 1972Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

97 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Similkameen River near Nighthawk, 1929 to 2024 681012141618ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft May 23, 1929: 9.14 ft, below flood stage; 8,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1930: 9.08 ft, below flood stage; 8,500 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1931: 9.49 ft, below flood stage; 9,380 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1932: 10.00 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1933: 13.30 ft, action stage; 20,900 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1934: 14.96 ft, minor flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1935: 11.42 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1936: 10.34 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1937: 11.90 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1938: 13.60 ft, action stage; 21,900 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1940: 8.74 ft, below flood stage; 7,550 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1941: 7.23 ft, below flood stage; 4,750 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1942: 13.09 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1943: 11.14 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1944: 9.72 ft, below flood stage; 9,740 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1945: 12.40 ft, below flood stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1946: 11.93 ft, below flood stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1947: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1948: 17.62 ft, major flooding; 38,700 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1949: 14.76 ft, minor flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1950: 15.47 ft, moderate flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1951: 13.71 ft, action stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1952: 11.23 ft, below flood stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1953: 11.79 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1954: 12.85 ft, below flood stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1955: 15.13 ft, moderate flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1956: 14.19 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1957: 13.70 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1958: 11.50 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1959: 12.77 ft, below flood stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1960: 11.55 ft, below flood stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1961: 13.69 ft, action stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1962: 10.48 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1963: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1964: 13.43 ft, action stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1965: 11.53 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1966: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1967: 13.92 ft, action stage; 21,100 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1968: 12.27 ft, below flood stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1969: 11.87 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 11.78 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1971: 14.06 ft, minor flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1972: 17.97 ft, major flooding; 45,800 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1973: 10.07 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1974: 15.52 ft, moderate flooding; 31,500 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1975: 12.30 ft, below flood stage; 19,500 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1976: 11.63 ft, below flood stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1977: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 7,500 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1978: 12.28 ft, below flood stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1979: 9.30 ft, below flood stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1980: 10.86 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1981: 11.10 ft, below flood stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1982: 11.76 ft, below flood stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1983: 12.91 ft, below flood stage; 20,500 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 11.26 ft, below flood stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1985: 11.29 ft, below flood stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1986: 13.72 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1987: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1988: 10.67 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1989: 10.23 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1990: 10.69 ft, below flood stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1991: 14.25 ft, minor flooding; 25,400 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1992: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 8,710 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1993: 10.97 ft, below flood stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1994: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 9,860 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1995: 10.76 ft, below flood stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1996: 12.10 ft, below flood stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1997: 14.59 ft, minor flooding; 26,860 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1998: 11.23 ft, below flood stage; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1999: 12.48 ft, below flood stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2000: 9.13 ft, below flood stage; 9,960 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2001: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 8,570 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2002: 12.23 ft, below flood stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2003: 9.38 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 2003: 10.14 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2005: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2006: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2007: 10.59 ft, below flood stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2008: 12.87 ft, below flood stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2009: 9.89 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2010: 10.24 ft, below flood stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 13.02 ft, action stage; 20,547 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2012: 11.10 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2013: 13.06 ft, action stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2014: 11.97 ft, below flood stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 8.26 ft, below flood stage; 7,770 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2016: 11.72 ft, below flood stage; 16,900 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2017: 12.46 ft, below flood stage; 19,500 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2018: 15.50 ft, moderate flooding; 32,346 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2018: 14.82 ft, minor flooding; 29,156 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2019: 9.47 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2020: 12.81 ft, below flood stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2021: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 2021: 14.38 ft, minor flooding; 246,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 11.02 ft, below flood stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2023: 11.17 ft, below flood stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2024: 8.37 ft, below flood stage; 8,340 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.97 ft, Jun 1, 1972 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Similkameen River near Nighthawk 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 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.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 97 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Similkameen River near Nighthawk
1Jun 1, 197217.97+3.97Major45,800
2May 30, 194817.62+3.62Major38,700
3Jun 17, 197415.52+1.52Moderate31,500
4May 11, 201815.50+1.50Moderate32,346
5Jun 17, 195015.47+1.47Moderate29,700
6Jun 13, 195515.13+1.13Moderate28,200
7Apr 26, 193414.96+0.96Minor27,200
8May 18, 201814.82+0.82Minor29,156
9May 15, 194914.76+0.76Minor26,900
10May 17, 199714.59+0.59Minor26,860
11Nov 16, 202114.38+0.38Minor246,000
12May 22, 199114.25+0.25Minor25,400
13May 22, 195614.19+0.19Minor24,500
14May 14, 197114.06+0.06Minor22,700
15Jun 23, 196713.92−0.08Action21,100
16Jun 1, 198613.72−0.28Action23,200
17May 24, 195113.71−0.29Action22,700
18May 21, 195713.70−0.30Action23,200
19Jun 5, 196113.69−0.31Action22,500
20May 27, 193813.60−0.40Action21,900
21Jun 12, 196413.43−0.57Action22,000
22Jun 17, 193313.30−0.70Action20,900
23May 27, 194213.09−0.91Action20,000
24May 13, 201313.06−0.94Action21,700
25Jun 10, 201113.02−0.98Action20,547
26May 31, 198312.91−1.09Below flood stage20,500
27May 20, 200812.87−1.13Below flood stage20,300
28May 21, 195412.85−1.15Below flood stage19,700
29Jun 1, 202012.81−1.19Below flood stage20,600
30Jun 4, 195912.77−1.23Below flood stage19,700
31Jun 17, 199912.48−1.52Below flood stage19,200
32May 24, 201712.46−1.54Below flood stage19,500
33Jun 1, 194512.40−1.60Below flood stage17,600
34Jun 3, 197512.30−1.70Below flood stage19,500
35Jun 6, 197812.28−1.72Below flood stage19,400
36May 21, 196812.27−1.73Below flood stage17,200
37May 30, 200212.23−1.77Below flood stage17,900
38Jun 8, 199612.10−1.90Below flood stage18,000
39May 18, 201411.97−2.03Below flood stage17,700
40May 28, 194611.93−2.07Below flood stage15,900
41Jun 4, 193711.90−2.10Below flood stage16,100
42May 25, 196911.87−2.13Below flood stage16,100
43Jun 14, 195311.79−2.21Below flood stage16,200
44Jun 4, 197011.78−2.22Below flood stage15,600
45Jun 15, 198211.76−2.24Below flood stage16,800
46Apr 23, 201611.72−2.28Below flood stage16,900
47Jun 20, 197611.63−2.37Below flood stage17,200
48May 21, 200611.59−2.41Below flood stage16,200
49Jun 4, 196011.55−2.45Below flood stage15,200
50May 29, 196511.53−2.47Below flood stage15,600

Other gauges in Okanogan County

Flood gauges in Okanogan County
Pateros10.012.25 ft, May 31, 19721
Tonasket15.022.54 ft, Jun 2, 19728

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NITW1, 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.