Mississippi River Flood Information

The Mississippi River (also known as Lake Pepin) forms the southern border of Pepin County; it is particularly prone to spring flooding due to rapid snow melts and above average precipitation. However, the mighty Mississippi can also be impacted by heavy rain events. 

Pepin County property owners should monitor the Lake City Mississippi River gauge to measure the magnitude and duration of potential floods. The gauge elevation is approximate 661 feet above sea level.  FEMA has established the 100 year flood elevation has been determined to be approximately 681.4 for most areas of Lake Pepin. Minor flood stage has been established at 16 feet, moderate flooding at 18 feet, and major flooding at 20 feet. Local benchmarks have been established with nails in trees, paint on road signs, and other marks to show the flood of record in areas within the floodplain (1965 flood).

• At 16 feet (minor), the Village of Stockholm Park is flooded and Barney's Point is inaccessible due to the inundated access route (private road)
• At 17 feet, the roadways and properties on Deer Island begin to flood, which starts to limit access to the area.
• At 19 feet, the Pepin Marina is underwater

Response agencies (law/ambulance/fire) in Pepin County will not drive into flooded areas - individuals owning property in areas prone to flooding should evacuate before the flood waters rise to unsafe levels.

If you would like to know more information about the flood elevations on a specific property along the Mississippi River, please reach out to the Pepin County Land Information Officer (Maria Nelson)