South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin
Observed Thu, Sep 24, 4:45 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 13.00 ft
- Record crest
- 19.90 ft1975
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 19.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 15.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 13.00 ft |
| Action | 12.00 ft |
- 19.00 ftMAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
- 17.00 ftBridge deck at gage floods.
- 15.00 ftMODERATE FLOOD STAGE.
- 14.20 ftRoad to access gage floods.
- 14.00 ftAgricultural flooding begins.
- 13.00 ftMINOR FLOOD STAGE. Flooding on road cut at old meander scar east of gage begins.
- 12.00 ftACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 11% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
86 crests on NOAA’s list since 1945.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 2, 1975 | 19.90 ft |
| 2 | April 6, 1997 | 19.11 ft |
| 3 | March 25, 2009 | 19.08 ft |
| 4 | April 1, 2006 | 18.29 ft |
| 5 | April 10, 1969 | 18.12 ft |
| 6 | April 14, 2023 | 17.71 ft |
| 7 | March 15, 2010 | 17.58 ft |
| 8 | June 9, 1962 | 17.04 ft |
| 9 | March 31, 2019 | 16.79 ft |
| 10 | March 15, 1966 | 16.78 ft |
| 11 | April 9, 2001 | 16.67 ft |
| 12 | April 4, 1989 | 16.30 ft |
| 13 | April 8, 1965 | 16.29 ft |
| 14 | April 4, 2011 | 16.20 ft |
| 15 | May 17, 1998 | 16.14 ft |
| 16 | March 29, 1978 | 16.04 ft |
| 17 | June 27, 2013 | 15.75 ft |
| 18 | March 30, 2020 | 15.39 ft |
| 19 | May 31, 1953 | 15.38 ft |
| 20 | April 8, 1952 | 15.37 ft |
| 21 | June 21, 2014 | 15.34 ft |
| 22 | April 14, 1979 | 15.33 ft |
| 23 | August 10, 2025 | 15.19 ft |
| 24 | April 5, 1956 | 15.18 ft |
| 25 | March 22, 1994 | 14.95 ft |
Most recent crests
- March 10, 2026: 10.45 ft
- August 10, 2025: 15.19 ft
- June 5, 2024: 13.63 ft
- April 14, 2023: 17.71 ft
- May 13, 2022: 14.30 ft
- March 10, 2021: 10.72 ft
- March 30, 2020: 15.39 ft
- October 16, 2019: 12.62 ft
- March 31, 2019: 16.79 ft
- March 31, 2018: 11.05 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- DownstreamSouth Branch Buffalo River at Glyndon (28th Ave S)
- Buffalo River (MN) at Glyndon (CSAH19)
- Red River of the North at Fargo
- Wild Rice River (ND) at St. Benedict
- Red River of the North at Hickson
- Buffalo River (MN) at Dilworth
- Sheyenne River Diversion
- Sheyenne River at Sheyenne River Diversion near Horace
What this means
Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.