June 2022 floods in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin

Abstract

Extraordinary floods surged down the Yellowstone River and its tributaries in northwestern Wyoming and south-central Montana on June 13–15, 2022. During the flood, U.S. Geological Survey staff worked to maintain real-time data from streamgages by making field measurements of streamflow and repairing damaged equipment while communicating the latest streamflow information with the public and with local, State, and Federal agencies. After the flood, staff surveyed high-water marks, computed peak streamflow at streamgages unreachable during the flood, and updated flood-frequency estimates for streamgages in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin. Streamflows were the highest on record at 17 streamgages in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin. River stages were highest on record at most of those streamgages. The flood-related data and analyses are summarized in this fact sheet.