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Milwaukee River at Waubeka

Highest listed crest 13.77 ftFlood stage 9.5 ft16 crests since 1975

The Milwaukee River at Waubeka crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1975 to 2019. The highest, 13.77 ft on March 16, 2019, was major flooding, 4.27 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Milwaukee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.77 ft
March 16, 2019; 10,681 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.5 ft
Major flooding from 11.5 ft
Crests at major
1
64th of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
October 2, 2019
9.61 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ozaukee County
Near Port Washington (8.1 mi), West Bend (10.3 mi), Grafton (10.7 mi)
Identifiers
NWS WAUW3
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Milwaukee River at Waubeka
Action stage8.52Apr 12, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.54Oct 2, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.53Mar 14, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.51Mar 16, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1975 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Milwaukee River at Waubeka, 1975 to 2019 468101214ft Flood stage 9.5 ftMajor 11.5 ft Mar 23, 1975: 11.35 ft, moderate flooding; 6,990 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 8.97 ft, action stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2004: 10.61 ft, moderate flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 10.67 ft, moderate floodingJan 9, 2008: 9.77 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2008: 7.06 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 2008: 6.59 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 2008: 10.49 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 2008: 10.42 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2010: 7.86 ft, below flood stageJul 16, 2010: 6.20 ft, below flood stageFeb 20, 2011: 5.76 ft, below flood stageMar 23, 2011: 7.21 ft, below flood stageApr 12, 2013: 8.87 ft, action stageMar 16, 2019: 13.77 ft, major flooding; 10,681 cubic feet per secondOct 2, 2019: 9.61 ft, minor flooding; 4,609 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.77 ft, Mar 16, 2019 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Milwaukee River at Waubeka 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 5 5 2010s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Milwaukee River at Waubeka
1Mar 16, 201913.77+4.27Major10,681
2Mar 23, 197511.35+1.85Moderate6,990
3Mar 14, 200710.67+1.17Moderate—
4Jun 13, 200410.61+1.11Moderate5,180
5Jun 9, 200810.49+0.99Minor—
6Jun 13, 200810.42+0.92Minor—
7Jan 9, 20089.77+0.27Minor—
8Oct 2, 20199.61+0.11Minor4,609
9May 23, 20048.97−0.53Action3,620
10Apr 12, 20138.87−0.63Action—
11Mar 12, 20107.86−1.64Below flood stage—
12Mar 23, 20117.21−2.29Below flood stage—
13Mar 16, 20087.06−2.44Below flood stage—
14Apr 13, 20086.59−2.91Below flood stage—
15Jul 16, 20106.20−3.30Below flood stage—
16Feb 20, 20115.76−3.74Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Milwaukee River

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

March 16, 2019: 13.77 ft here, major flooding

  • SaukvilleWI · Mar 17, 2019 · 15.59 ft · Moderate
  • CedarburgWI · Mar 17, 2019 · 13.26 ft · Moderate

March 23, 1975: 11.35 ft here, moderate flooding

March 14, 2007: 10.67 ft here, moderate flooding

  • CedarburgWI · Mar 13, 2007 · 11.80 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Milwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the Milwaukee River
Milwaukee-Estabrook ParkWI7.011.20 ft, Aug 10, 20254
SaukvilleWI13.516.75 ft, Jun 13, 20081
Waubeka this gaugeWI9.513.77 ft, Mar 16, 20191
CedarburgWI11.013.98 ft, Jun 13, 20080

Other gauges in Ozaukee County

Flood gauges in Ozaukee County
Cedarburg10.012.25 ft, Mar 30, 19601
Saukville13.516.75 ft, Jun 13, 20081
Cedarburg11.013.98 ft, Jun 13, 20080

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WAUW3, 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.