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Bear River below Pixley Dam

Highest listed crest 10.90 ftFlood stage 8.5 ft45 crests since 1953

The Bear River below Pixley Dam crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2025. The highest, 10.90 ft on June 5, 1983, was major flooding, 2.40 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Bear River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.90 ft
June 5, 1983; 2,060 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.5 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
1
5th of 73 gauges in Wyoming
Most recent flood crest
May 5, 2023
9.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lincoln County
Wyoming

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Bear River below Pixley Dam
Action stage7.57Jun 9, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.56May 5, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.53Jun 19, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.51Jun 5, 1983Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1953 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Bear River below Pixley Dam, 1953 to 2025 24681012ft Flood stage 8.5 ftMajor 10.5 ft Jun 21, 1953: 8.25 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1954: 4.18 ft, below flood stage; 282 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1955: 5.05 ft, below flood stage; 382 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1960: 3.49 ft, below flood stage; 189 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1961: 3.25 ft, below flood stage; 130 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1962: 5.93 ft, below flood stage; 659 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1963: 4.88 ft, below flood stage; 388 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1964: 7.78 ft, action stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1965: 9.91 ft, moderate flooding; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1966: 6.40 ft, below flood stage; 793 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1967: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 1,430 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1968: 9.61 ft, moderate flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1969: 6.62 ft, below flood stage; 875 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1970: 6.65 ft, below flood stage; 861 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1971: 7.59 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1972: 9.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,690 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1973: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 8.09 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1975: 8.08 ft, action stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1976: 5.52 ft, below flood stage; 583 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 4.66 ft, below flood stage; 432 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1982: 7.77 ft, action stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1983: 10.90 ft, major flooding; 2,060 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1997: 8.65 ft, minor flooding; 1,250 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1998: 8.68 ft, minor flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1999: 7.66 ft, action stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2000: 3.78 ft, below flood stage; 333 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2001: 2.95 ft, below flood stage; 179 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2002: 2.10 ft, below flood stage; 93 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2003: 2.50 ft, below flood stage; 135 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2011: 9.72 ft, moderate flooding; 1,770 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2012: 4.41 ft, below flood stage; 443 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2013: 3.46 ft, below flood stage; 235 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2014: 4.41 ft, below flood stage; 252 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2015: 5.47 ft, below flood stage; 277 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2016: 7.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2017: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2018: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 410 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2019: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 700 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2020: 3.89 ft, below flood stage; 380 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2021: 2.27 ft, below flood stage; 104 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2022: 4.90 ft, below flood stageMay 5, 2023: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,890 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2024: 5.98 ft, below flood stage; 889 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2025: 3.30 ft, below flood stage; 251 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.90 ft, Jun 5, 1983 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Bear River below Pixley Dam 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 3 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 2 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 8.35 ft on Apr 6, 1942; 5.87 ft on Mar 29, 1943.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Bear River below Pixley Dam
1Jun 5, 198310.90+2.40Major2,060
2Jun 18, 19659.91+1.41Moderate1,430
3Jun 19, 20119.72+1.22Moderate1,770
4Jun 11, 19689.61+1.11Moderate1,560
5Jun 13, 19729.40+0.90Minor1,690
6Mar 23, 20179.15+0.65Minor1,520
7May 5, 20239.08+0.58Minor1,890
8Jun 30, 19678.73+0.23Minor1,430
9Jun 24, 19988.68+0.18Minor1,580
10Jun 19, 19978.65+0.15Minor1,250
11Jun 21, 19538.25−0.25Action1,220
12May 17, 19748.09−0.41Action1,330
13Jun 26, 19758.08−0.42Action1,240
14Jun 14, 19647.78−0.72Action1,100
15Jun 2, 19827.77−0.73Action1,270
16Jun 9, 19997.66−0.84Action1,120
17Jun 4, 19717.59−0.91Action1,200
18Jun 15, 20167.27−1.23Below flood stage1,000
19May 4, 19737.19−1.31Below flood stage1,060
20Jun 14, 19706.65−1.85Below flood stage861
21May 14, 19696.62−1.88Below flood stage875
22May 15, 19666.40−2.10Below flood stage793
23Apr 20, 20245.98−2.52Below flood stage889
24May 18, 19625.93−2.57Below flood stage659
25Jun 25, 20195.68−2.82Below flood stage700
26May 12, 19765.52−2.98Below flood stage583
27Jul 6, 20155.47−3.03Below flood stage277
28Jun 5, 19555.05−3.45Below flood stage382
29Jul 5, 20224.90−3.60Below flood stage—
30Jul 5, 19634.88−3.62Below flood stage388
31Jun 16, 19814.66−3.84Below flood stage432
32Mar 29, 20124.41−4.09Below flood stage443
33Jun 30, 20144.41−4.09Below flood stage252
34Jul 5, 20184.40−4.10Below flood stage410
35Apr 9, 19544.18−4.32Below flood stage282
36May 6, 20203.89−4.61Below flood stage380
37Jul 13, 20003.78−4.72Below flood stage333
38Jul 2, 19603.49−5.01Below flood stage189
39Jul 20, 20133.46−5.04Below flood stage235
40Jul 21, 20253.30−5.20Below flood stage251
41Sep 22, 19613.25−5.25Below flood stage130
42Jul 17, 20012.95−5.55Below flood stage179
43Jul 15, 20032.50−6.00Below flood stage135
44Jun 2, 20212.27−6.23Below flood stage104
45Apr 1, 20022.10−6.40Below flood stage93

The worst floods along the Bear River

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

June 5, 1983: 10.90 ft here, major flooding

  • CokevilleWY · Jun 7, 1983 · 8.75 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • BorderID · Jun 7, 1983 · 9.69 ft · Minor · its highest

June 18, 1965: 9.91 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BorderID · Jun 22, 1965 · 8.66 ft · Minor

June 13, 1972: 9.40 ft here, minor flooding

  • BorderID · Jun 18, 1972 · 8.64 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Bear River

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

Flood gauges on the Bear River
EvanstonWY7.07.60 ft, Jun 8, 20100
Pixley Dam this gaugeWY8.510.90 ft, Jun 5, 19831
CokevilleWY6.08.75 ft, Jun 7, 19830
BorderID7.59.69 ft, Jun 7, 19830
Idaho-Utah State LineID18.121.72 ft, Jun 21, 19830
CollinstonUT8.28.70 ft, Feb 20, 19861
CorinneUT15.517.50 ft, May 19, 19841

Other gauges in Lincoln County

Flood gauges in Lincoln County
Cokeville6.08.75 ft, Jun 7, 19830
Fairview4.04.92 ft, May 13, 20170
La Barge9.010.50 ft, Jun 9, 19860
Pole Creek, near Frontier6.58.10 ft, May 28, 19710
Etna5.55.99 ft, May 25, 20110
Border5.55.66 ft, Jun 4, 19860

Lincoln County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Wyoming

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PIXW4, 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.