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Pecatonica River at Darlington

Highest listed crest 20.71 ftFlood stage 13.5 ft57 crests since 1937

The Pecatonica River at Darlington crested at major flood stage 14 times among the 57 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2024. The highest, 20.71 ft on July 16, 1950, was major flooding, 7.21 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Pecatonica River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.71 ft
July 16, 1950; 22,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.5 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
14
2nd of 143 gauges in Wisconsin
Most recent flood crest
October 3, 2019
15.84 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lafayette County
Wisconsin

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pecatonica River at Darlington
Action stage10.015Jul 16, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.512Sep 14, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.014Oct 3, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.014Mar 14, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

57 crests from 1937 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pecatonica River at Darlington, 1937 to 2024 510152025ft Flood stage 13.5 ftMajor 16.0 ft Feb 21, 1937: 17.60 ft, major floodingAug 2, 1942: 14.96 ft, minor flooding; 3,460 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1943: 15.73 ft, moderate flooding; 5,780 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1944: 15.26 ft, moderate flooding; 6,020 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1946: 17.18 ft, major flooding; 8,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 14.05 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1948: 17.65 ft, major flooding; 9,540 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1949: 14.70 ft, minor flooding; 5,240 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1950: 20.71 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1951: 16.61 ft, major flooding; 7,750 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1953: 17.47 ft, major flooding; 8,380 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1954: 15.79 ft, moderate flooding; 6,930 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1954: 15.79 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 1959: 17.16 ft, major floodingMar 30, 1960: 16.06 ft, major flooding; 7,770 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1963: 15.38 ft, moderate flooding; 6,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1966: 16.00 ft, major flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1967: 16.47 ft, major flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1969: 19.16 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1974: 14.36 ft, minor flooding; 3,980 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1975: 15.64 ft, moderate flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1977: 13.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1978: 14.61 ft, minor flooding; 4,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1985: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1990: 19.80 ft, major flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1993: 18.22 ft, major flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 15.75 ft, moderate flooding; 5,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1996: 10.59 ft, action stage; 1,577 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 4,030 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1998: 12.36 ft, action stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1999: 12.56 ft, action stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2000: 15.77 ft, moderate flooding; 5,432 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 13.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2007: 10.61 ft, action stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2008: 10.07 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 15.75 ft, moderate flooding; 5,570 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2008: 15.65 ft, moderate flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 12.96 ft, action stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 12.94 ft, action stage; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 11.41 ft, action stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2010: 10.75 ft, action stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2013: 14.41 ft, minor flooding; 3,910 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 10.29 ft, action stage; 1,512 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2016: 10.12 ft, action stageJul 26, 2016: 11.57 ft, action stage; 1,215 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2017: 10.45 ft, action stageJul 22, 2017: 15.35 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 2018: 15.38 ft, moderate flooding; 4,350 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2018: 15.42 ft, moderate flooding; 3,004 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 13.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,009 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 17.60 ft, major flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 14.31 ft, minor flooding; 2,776 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2019: 15.84 ft, moderate flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2020: 9.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2022: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 750 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2023: 12.57 ft, action stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2024: 12.05 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.71 ft, Jul 16, 1950 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pecatonica River at Darlington 1930s: 1 1940s: 7 1950s: 6 1960s: 5 1970s: 4 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 57 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pecatonica River at Darlington
1Jul 16, 195020.71+7.21Major22,000
2Jun 29, 199019.80+6.30Major18,300
3Jun 30, 196919.16+5.66Major16,000
4Jul 6, 199318.22+4.72Major12,400
5Feb 28, 194817.65+4.15Major9,540
6Feb 21, 193717.60+4.10Major—
7Mar 14, 201917.60+4.10Major14,000
8Feb 20, 195317.47+3.97Major8,380
9Jan 6, 194617.18+3.68Major8,300
10Apr 1, 195917.16+3.66Major—
11Jul 8, 195116.61+3.11Major7,750
12Jan 25, 196716.47+2.97Major6,000
13Mar 30, 196016.06+2.56Major7,770
14Feb 9, 196616.00+2.50Major5,000
15Oct 3, 201915.84+2.34Moderate4,700
16Jan 22, 195415.79+2.29Moderate6,930
17Jun 22, 195415.79+2.29Moderate—
18Jun 1, 200015.77+2.27Moderate5,432
19Feb 20, 199415.75+2.25Moderate5,400
20Jun 9, 200815.75+2.25Moderate5,570
21Mar 16, 194315.73+2.23Moderate5,780
22Jun 14, 200815.65+2.15Moderate5,430
23Mar 22, 197515.64+2.14Moderate6,030
24Oct 3, 201815.42+1.92Moderate3,004
25Mar 17, 196315.38+1.88Moderate6,300
26Feb 21, 201815.38+1.88Moderate4,350
27Jul 22, 201715.35+1.85Moderate—
28Mar 15, 194415.26+1.76Moderate6,020
29Aug 2, 194214.96+1.46Minor3,460
30Feb 22, 198514.75+1.25Minor4,030
31Mar 5, 194914.70+1.20Minor5,240
32Feb 21, 199714.69+1.19Minor4,030
33Jun 18, 197814.61+1.11Minor4,330
34Mar 11, 201314.41+0.91Minor3,910
35Mar 4, 197414.36+0.86Minor3,980
36Sep 14, 201914.31+0.81Minor2,776
37Jun 14, 194714.05+0.55Minor3,860
38Oct 12, 201813.95+0.45Minor2,009
39May 23, 200413.80+0.30Minor3,200
40Jul 20, 197713.58+0.08Minor2,820
41Feb 11, 200912.96−0.54Action2,680
42Mar 9, 200912.94−0.56Action2,660
43Feb 28, 202312.57−0.93Action2,260
44May 17, 199912.56−0.94Action2,390
45Apr 1, 199812.36−1.14Action2,290
46Jul 16, 202412.05−1.45Action1,660
47Jul 26, 201611.57−1.93Action1,215
48Mar 13, 201011.41−2.09Action1,870
49Jul 25, 201010.75−2.75Action1,650
50Aug 21, 200710.61−2.89Action1,470

The worst floods along the Pecatonica River

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

July 16, 1950: 20.71 ft here, major flooding

  • BlanchardvilleWI · Jul 17, 1950 · 15.73 ft · Moderate
  • FreeportIL · Jul 22, 1950 · 14.51 ft · Moderate
  • ShirlandIL · Jul 23, 1950 · 13.40 ft · Minor

June 29, 1990: 19.80 ft here, major flooding

June 30, 1969: 19.16 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Pecatonica River

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

Flood gauges on the Pecatonica River
Darlington this gaugeWI13.520.71 ft, Jul 16, 195014
BlanchardvilleWI11.016.54 ft, Jul 6, 19933
MartintownWI13.522.41 ft, Mar 16, 20192
FreeportIL13.017.27 ft, Mar 17, 201914
ShirlandIL12.018.08 ft, Mar 25, 197511

Other gauges in Lafayette County

Flood gauges in Lafayette County
Buncombe15.019.57 ft, Jun 29, 19691
Blanchardville11.016.54 ft, Jul 6, 19933

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DARW3, 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.