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Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly

Highest listed crest 11.45 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft39 crests since 1921

The Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly crested above flood stage 15 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1921 to 2022. The highest, 11.45 ft on August 21, 1926, was minor flooding, 2.45 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.45 ft
August 21, 1926; 8,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
15 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 28, 2020
9.61 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marathon County
Near Weston (1.9 mi), Wausau (5.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly
Action stage7.021Mar 23, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.015Jul 28, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1921 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly, 1921 to 2022 46810121416ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Mar 20, 1921: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 6,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1921: 8.40 ft, action stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1922: 9.75 ft, minor flooding; 6,460 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1923: 8.94 ft, action stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1926: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 8,300 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1940: 8.35 ft, action stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1941: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 5,980 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1943: 9.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,740 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1946: 7.62 ft, action stage; 4,330 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1951: 7.35 ft, action stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 7.89 ft, action stage; 4,580 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1953: 8.60 ft, action stage; 5,280 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1959: 8.76 ft, action stage; 5,410 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1960: 7.81 ft, action stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1961: 9.80 ft, minor flooding; 6,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1965: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 6,980 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1967: 9.38 ft, minor flooding; 6,260 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1971: 7.92 ft, action stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1972: 9.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1972: 9.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1976: 10.72 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1979: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1988: 9.49 ft, minor flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1990: 8.52 ft, action stageMar 24, 1991: 10.14 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1992: 8.42 ft, action stageMar 15, 1995: 7.61 ft, action stageApr 6, 1997: 7.77 ft, action stage; 4,470 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2004: 8.72 ft, action stageMar 31, 2005: 7.96 ft, action stageSep 24, 2010: 6.22 ft, below flood stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2013: 7.35 ft, action stage; 4,083 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2013: 7.37 ft, action stage; 4,101 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2014: 7.77 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,770 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2019: 8.37 ft, action stageJul 28, 2020: 9.61 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2021: 6.43 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 2022: 7.45 ft, action stage; 1,510 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.45 ft, Aug 21, 1926 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly 1920s: 3 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 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

Highest listed crests, Eau Claire River (East) at Kelly
1Aug 21, 192611.45+2.45Minor8,300
2Mar 25, 197610.72+1.72Minor—
3Mar 24, 199110.14+1.14Minor—
4Apr 12, 196510.04+1.04Minor6,980
5Mar 20, 19219.90+0.90Minor6,600
6Mar 28, 19619.80+0.80Minor6,600
7Aug 9, 19229.75+0.75Minor6,460
8Jul 28, 20209.61+0.61Minor—
9Mar 29, 19889.49+0.49Minor6,190
10Mar 24, 19799.45+0.45Minor6,150
11Apr 12, 19729.42+0.42Minor6,360
12Apr 19, 19729.42+0.42Minor6,360
13Apr 1, 19679.38+0.38Minor6,260
14Sep 1, 19419.30+0.30Minor5,980
15Jun 27, 19439.12+0.12Minor5,740
16Apr 20, 19238.94−0.06Action5,620
17Sep 27, 19598.76−0.24Action5,410
18Mar 29, 20048.72−0.28Action—
19Mar 23, 19538.60−0.40Action5,280
20Mar 14, 19908.52−0.48Action—
21Nov 18, 19928.42−0.58Action—
22Mar 26, 19218.40−0.60Action5,080
23Apr 18, 20198.37−0.63Action—
24Jun 8, 19408.35−0.65Action5,020
25Mar 31, 20057.96−1.04Action—
26Apr 12, 19717.92−1.08Action4,600
27Apr 1, 19527.89−1.11Action4,580
28May 7, 19607.81−1.19Action4,950
29Apr 6, 19977.77−1.23Action4,470
30Sep 5, 20147.77−1.23Action4,900
31Mar 14, 19467.62−1.38Action4,330
32Mar 15, 19957.61−1.39Action—
33Mar 23, 20227.45−1.55Action1,510
34Apr 10, 20137.37−1.63Action4,101
35Apr 7, 19517.35−1.65Action4,090
36Mar 26, 20137.35−1.65Action4,083
37Mar 12, 20216.43−2.57Below flood stage—
38Sep 24, 20106.22−2.78Below flood stage3,170
39Apr 25, 20185.84−3.16Below flood stage2,770

Other gauges in Marathon County

Flood gauges in Marathon County
Stratford15.524.50 ft, Sep 9, 19383
Rib Falls10.016.20 ft, Aug 31, 19382
Rothschild25.032.30 ft, Sep 1, 19416
Wausau Dam1,167.01,169.87 ft, Apr 18, 20230

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KELW3, 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.