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Menomonee River at Wauwatosa

Highest listed crest 18.63 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft48 crests since 1964

The Menomonee River at Wauwatosa crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 48 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2026. The highest, 18.63 ft on June 21, 1997, was major flooding, 7.63 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Menomonee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.63 ft
June 21, 1997; 13,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2026
11.85 ft, minor flooding
Location
Milwaukee County
Near Milwaukee (2.1 mi), Wauwatosa (2.2 mi), West Allis (3.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Menomonee River at Wauwatosa
Action stage8.031Aug 1, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.09Apr 16, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.02Jun 19, 2009Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.02Aug 6, 1998Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

48 crests from 1964 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Menomonee River at Wauwatosa, 1964 to 2026 5101520ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jul 18, 1964: 9.03 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 1972: 10.39 ft, action stage; 6,610 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1973: 13.92 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1976: 9.09 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1978: 8.73 ft, action stage; 5,070 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1981: 9.58 ft, action stage; 6,120 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1983: 10.55 ft, action stage; 7,560 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1986: 13.13 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1993: 8.47 ft, action stage; 4,216 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1994: 10.43 ft, action stage; 4,384 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1996: 9.44 ft, action stage; 5,230 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1997: 18.63 ft, major flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1998: 18.30 ft, major flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1999: 13.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,280 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2000: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,640 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2001: 9.55 ft, action stage; 3,440 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2002: 10.37 ft, action stage; 3,990 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 2003: 6.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2004: 9.59 ft, action stageJul 4, 2004: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,080 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2005: 9.22 ft, action stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2006: 10.84 ft, action stage; 5,360 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2007: 8.83 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2008: 7.81 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 2008: 15.68 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2009: 9.44 ft, action stageJun 19, 2009: 15.34 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2010: 10.14 ft, action stageJun 23, 2010: 9.31 ft, action stageJul 7, 2010: 8.75 ft, action stageJul 15, 2010: 13.95 ft, minor floodingJul 22, 2010: 14.65 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2011: 8.77 ft, action stage; 4,670 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2012: 7.67 ft, below flood stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2013: 8.57 ft, action stage; 3,290 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2014: 9.24 ft, action stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2015: 8.98 ft, action stage; 4,200 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2016: 10.21 ft, action stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2017: 7.78 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2018: 8.64 ft, action stage; 3,950 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 9.85 ft, action stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 10.42 ft, action stage; 5,480 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2021: 10.99 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 10.41 ft, action stage; 5,480 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2023: 8.10 ft, action stage; 3,520 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2024: 8.13 ft, action stage; 3,540 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2025: 14.54 ft, minor flooding; 9,530 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2026: 11.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,813 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.63 ft, Jun 21, 1997 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Menomonee River at Wauwatosa 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Menomonee River at Wauwatosa
1Jun 21, 199718.63+7.63Major13,500
2Aug 6, 199818.30+7.30Major12,800
3Jun 7, 200815.68+4.68Moderate12,400
4Jun 19, 200915.34+4.34Moderate11,800
5Jul 22, 201014.65+3.65Minor10,700
6Aug 10, 202514.54+3.54Minor9,530
7Jul 15, 201013.95+2.95Minor—
8Apr 21, 197313.92+2.92Minor13,500
9Aug 6, 198613.13+2.13Minor10,600
10Jul 21, 199913.00+2.00Minor6,280
11Jul 2, 200012.48+1.48Minor5,640
12Apr 16, 202611.85+0.85Minor6,813
13Jul 4, 200411.80+0.80Minor5,080
14Aug 8, 202110.99−0.01Action6,010
15Jul 9, 200610.84−0.16Action5,360
16Aug 17, 198310.55−0.45Action7,560
17Aug 3, 199410.43−0.57Action4,384
18May 17, 202010.42−0.58Action5,480
19Sep 12, 202210.41−0.59Action5,480
20Sep 18, 197210.39−0.61Action6,610
21Aug 12, 200210.37−0.63Action3,990
22Sep 7, 201610.21−0.79Action5,140
23Jun 15, 201010.14−0.86Action—
24Sep 13, 20199.85−1.15Action4,980
25May 22, 20049.59−1.41Action—
26Jul 13, 19819.58−1.42Action6,120
27Jun 12, 20019.55−1.45Action3,440
28Jun 17, 19969.44−1.56Action5,230
29Apr 26, 20099.44−1.56Action—
30Jun 23, 20109.31−1.69Action—
31Jun 18, 20149.24−1.76Action3,760
32Sep 25, 20059.22−1.78Action3,200
33Mar 4, 19769.09−1.91Action6,010
34Jul 18, 19649.03−1.97Action6,010
35Apr 9, 20158.98−2.02Action4,200
36Apr 3, 20078.83−2.17Action3,690
37Jun 21, 20118.77−2.23Action4,670
38Jul 7, 20108.75−2.25Action—
39May 13, 19788.73−2.27Action5,070
40Aug 27, 20188.64−2.36Action3,950
41Jun 16, 20138.57−2.43Action3,290
42Apr 20, 19938.47−2.53Action4,216
43Aug 1, 20248.13−2.87Action3,540
44Aug 14, 20238.10−2.90Action3,520
45Apr 11, 20087.81−3.19Below flood stage—
46Jul 12, 20177.78−3.22Below flood stage3,330
47May 6, 20127.67−3.33Below flood stage2,700
48Aug 3, 20036.95−4.05Below flood stage1,780

The worst floods along the Menomonee River

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

June 21, 1997: 18.63 ft here, major flooding

July 22, 2010: 14.65 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Menomonee River

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

Flood gauges on the Menomonee River
Menomonee FallsWI7.58.52 ft, Aug 10, 20250
Wauwatosa this gaugeWI11.018.63 ft, Jun 21, 19972

Other gauges in Milwaukee County

Flood gauges in Milwaukee County
Milwaukee16.017.19 ft, Aug 10, 20250
Milwaukee-Estabrook Park7.011.20 ft, Aug 10, 20254
South Milwaukee8.011.56 ft, Jun 7, 20082
Franklin8.011.71 ft, Aug 10, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WWTW3, 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.