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Black River (WI) at Neillsville

Highest listed crest 23.80 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft10 crests since 1905

The Black River (WI) at Neillsville crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1905 to 2019. The highest, 23.80 ft on September 10, 1938, was major flooding, 5.80 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Black River (WI) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.80 ft
September 10, 1938; 48,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
3
30th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 18, 2019
18.42 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clark County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black River (WI) at Neillsville
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.06Apr 18, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.01Sep 22, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.03Jun 28, 1943Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

10 crests from 1905 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black River (WI) at Neillsville, 1905 to 2019 18202224ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Jun 6, 1905: 22.40 ft, major flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1914: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1938: 23.80 ft, major flooding; 48,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1943: 22.49 ft, major flooding; 41,600 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1980: 18.95 ft, minor flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1986: 18.65 ft, minor flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1993: 19.30 ft, minor flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2010: 18.77 ft, minor flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2016: 21.07 ft, moderate flooding; 39,900 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2019: 18.42 ft, minor flooding; 27,112 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.80 ft, Sep 10, 1938 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black River (WI) at Neillsville 1900s: 1 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 3 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Black River (WI) at Neillsville
1Sep 10, 193823.80+5.80Major48,800
2Jun 28, 194322.49+4.49Major41,600
3Jun 6, 190522.40+4.40Major41,100
4Sep 22, 201621.07+3.07Moderate39,900
5Jun 5, 191419.80+1.80Minor29,400
6Jun 20, 199319.30+1.30Minor30,400
7Sep 21, 198018.95+0.95Minor28,300
8Sep 24, 201018.77+0.77Minor28,500
9Sep 22, 198618.65+0.65Minor28,100
10Apr 18, 201918.42+0.42Minor27,112

The worst floods along the Black River (WI)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Black River (WI) that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 10, 1938: 23.80 ft here, major flooding

  • HatfieldWI · Sep 10, 1938 · 804.50 ft · Major
  • GalesvilleWI · Sep 11, 1938 · 14.31 ft · Moderate

September 22, 2016: 21.07 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Hwy 95WI · Sep 22, 2016 · 915.23 ft · Major · its highest
  • HatfieldWI · Sep 22, 2016 · 803.10 ft · Major
  • Black River FallsWI · Sep 22, 2016 · 60.35 ft · Major
  • GalesvilleWI · Sep 24, 2016 · 14.96 ft · Moderate
  • Hatfield DamWI · Sep 22, 2016 · 885.41 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Black River (WI)

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Black River (WI)
Black River FallsWI47.061.47 ft, Sep 24, 20107
GalesvilleWI12.016.79 ft, Sep 25, 20104
Hatfield DamWI884.0885.41 ft, Sep 22, 20160
Hwy 95WI908.0915.23 ft, Sep 22, 20161
Neillsville this gaugeWI18.023.80 ft, Sep 10, 19383
HatfieldWI797.0811.50 ft, Oct 6, 19116

Other gauges in Clark County

Flood gauges in Clark County
Hwy 95908.0915.23 ft, Sep 22, 20161

Clark County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NEIW3, 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.