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Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire

Highest listed crest 781.00 ftFlood stage 773.0 ft28 crests since 1938

The Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2023. The highest, 781.00 ft on September 1, 1941, was major flooding, 8.00 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Chippewa River (WI) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
781.00 ft
September 1, 1941
Flood stage
773.0 ft
Major flooding from 778.0 ft
Crests at major
4
21st of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 22, 2023
776.44 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Eau Claire County
Near Eau Claire (0.7 mi), Chippewa Falls (10.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire
Action stage764.011Mar 26, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)773.08Apr 19, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage776.05Apr 22, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage778.04Jun 21, 1993Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1938 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire, 1938 to 2023 765770775780785ft Flood stage 773.0 ftMajor 778.0 ft Jun 2, 1938: 774.50 ft, minor floodingSep 10, 1938: 777.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 1, 1941: 781.00 ft, major floodingMay 3, 1954: 778.50 ft, major floodingApr 2, 1967: 779.60 ft, major floodingJun 21, 1993: 778.90 ft, major floodingSep 18, 1994: 772.90 ft, action stageApr 21, 1996: 774.90 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1997: 772.90 ft, action stageApr 13, 2001: 774.50 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2002: 776.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 15, 2003: 773.80 ft, minor floodingSep 25, 2010: 777.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 12, 2011: 771.10 ft, action stageMay 8, 2012: 766.00 ft, action stageJun 23, 2012: 765.70 ft, action stageMay 23, 2013: 770.90 ft, action stageJun 2, 2013: 776.80 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 2013: 766.50 ft, action stageJun 22, 2013: 768.50 ft, action stageMar 18, 2016: 774.64 ft, minor flooding; 62,400 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 775.04 ft, minor flooding; 64,200 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2018: 773.31 ft, minor flooding; 56,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 771.59 ft, action stage; 47,900 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 775.06 ft, minor flooding; 64,300 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2020: 771.15 ft, action stage; 45,900 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 766.31 ft, action stage; 25,500 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2023: 776.44 ft, moderate flooding; 70,770 cubic feet per second Highest, 781.00 ft, Sep 1, 1941 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 1 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, Chippewa River (WI) at Eau Claire
1Sep 1, 1941781.00+8.00Major—
2Apr 2, 1967779.60+6.60Major—
3Jun 21, 1993778.90+5.90Major—
4May 3, 1954778.50+5.50Major—
5Sep 25, 2010777.80+4.80Moderate—
6Sep 10, 1938777.00+4.00Moderate—
7Jun 2, 2013776.80+3.80Moderate—
8Apr 22, 2023776.44+3.44Moderate70,770
9Apr 14, 2002776.20+3.20Moderate—
10Apr 19, 2019775.06+2.06Minor64,300
11May 20, 2017775.04+2.04Minor64,200
12Apr 21, 1996774.90+1.90Minor—
13Mar 18, 2016774.64+1.64Minor62,400
14Jun 2, 1938774.50+1.50Minor—
15Apr 13, 2001774.50+1.50Minor—
16May 15, 2003773.80+0.80Minor—
17Jun 20, 2018773.31+0.31Minor56,000
18Sep 18, 1994772.90−0.10Action—
19Apr 7, 1997772.90−0.10Action—
20Oct 11, 2018771.59−1.41Action47,900
21Mar 31, 2020771.15−1.85Action45,900
22Apr 12, 2011771.10−1.90Action—
23May 23, 2013770.90−2.10Action—
24Jun 22, 2013768.50−4.50Action—
25Jun 8, 2013766.50−6.50Action—
26Mar 26, 2021766.31−6.69Action25,500
27May 8, 2012766.00−7.00Action—
28Jun 23, 2012765.70−7.30Action—

The worst floods along the Chippewa River (WI)

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

September 1, 1941: 781.00 ft here, major flooding

  • DurandWI · Sep 2, 1941 · 17.40 ft · Major
  • WinterWI · Sep 4, 1941 · 11.05 ft · Minor · its highest

April 2, 1967: 779.60 ft here, major flooding

  • DurandWI · Apr 2, 1967 · 18.93 ft · Major · its highest

June 21, 1993: 778.90 ft here, major flooding

  • DurandWI · Jun 23, 1993 · 17.76 ft · Major

Gauges on the Chippewa River (WI)

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

Flood gauges on the Chippewa River (WI)
WinterWI11.011.05 ft, Sep 4, 19410
Eau Claire this gaugeWI773.0781.00 ft, Sep 1, 19414
DurandWI13.018.93 ft, Apr 2, 19675

Other gauges in Eau Claire County

Flood gauges in Eau Claire County
Fall Creek11.019.38 ft, Jun 20, 19937

Eau Claire County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wisconsin

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ECLW3, 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.