Community Corner

Recent Rainfall Has the St. Croix River Running High

The St. Croix was at 683.74 feet in Stillwater at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The river is expected to rise about 3 feet (686.5 feet) by this weekend. The Stillwater Lift Bridge could be forced to close.

Recent rainfall has the St. Croix River running high.

The St. Croix was at 683.74 feet in Stillwater at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The river is expected to rise about 3 feet (686.5 feet) by this weekend.

The Stillwater Lift Bridge closes when the river reaches 686 feet. Flood stage is 687 feet. 

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For reference, the seawall at Lakefront Park in Hudson floods at 680 feet, according to the National Weather Service. At 683 feet, Minnesota and Wisconsin may impose a no-wake zone on the river; and at 684 feet the second tier at Lakefront Park in Hudson floods.

At 685 feet, several homes along the river may experience flooding in their basements and Front Street closes. At 686.75 feet, Buckeye Street Garage in Hudson impacted.

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“Recent rainfall has raised water levels dramatically, a National Park Service alert reads. “The St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers are flowing high, fast and cold. Take extra precautions while on the water. Additional rainfall over the next few days could raise the rivers even further.”

The St. Croix rose to be about 7-10 feet above normal in just a couple of days in Taylors Falls. Check out the Youtube video posted above to see the flood waters coming over the top of the dam.

Currently, the Osceola Picnic Area is closed due to flooding. The restrooms in the picnic area, as well as the restrooms and public drinking water at Osceola Landing are also closed at this time.

The road to Raspberry Landing in Burnett County, Wis., washed out during recent heavy rains and the landing is currently inaccessible.

About the water levels

The average water level in Hudson is 675 feet. The following are elevations (in feet) of various areas in Hudson that are prone to flooding, according to the city's flood work plan:

  • Seawall at Lakefront Park: 680
  • Second tier at Lakefront Park: 684
  • Lowest elevation of Front Street: 684.9
  • First Street (between Buckeye Street and Commercial Street): 685.8
  • Floor of Buckeye Street Garage: 686.75
  • Top of Lake Mallalieu dam gates: 688.3
  • Slab elevation at Lakefront Park bathhouse: 690
  • Top of Dike Road: 691
  • Abandoned railroad bed north of Vine Street to St. Croix Street: 692

Hudson flood history

The highest flood elevations (in feet) in Hudson history (as measured at Stillwater, MN) are the following, according to the National Weather Service:

  1. 694.1 on April 14, 1965
  2. 692.3 on April 27, 2001
  3. 692.2 on April 16,1969
  4. 691.1 on April 16, 2001
  5. 690.45 on April 12, 1997
  6. 689.7 on April 14, 1952
  7. 687.9 on June 28, 1993
  8. 687.5 on April 6, 1986
  9. 687.3 on April 30, 1975
  10. 687.28 on April 12, 2011
  11. 686.09 on March 31, 2011
  12. 685.93 on March 25, 2010

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Editor's Note:

The statistics and forecasts from this article come from the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NOAA-NWS).


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