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Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater

Highest listed crest 374.99 ftFlood stage 357.0 ft66 crests since 1973

The Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2025. The highest, 374.99 ft on May 30, 2019, was major flooding, 17.99 feet above flood stage. 18 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 6 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
374.99 ft
May 30, 2019; 637,856 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
357.0 ft
Major flooding from 365.0 ft
Crests at major
7
25th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
July 9, 2025
357.11 ft, minor flooding
Location
Franklin County
Arkansas
Identifiers
NWS OZGA4
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater
Action stage355.515Jul 1, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)357.035Jul 9, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage363.05May 11, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage365.07May 30, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1973 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater, 1973 to 2025 355360365370375ft Flood stage 357.0 ftMajor 365.0 ft Nov 25, 1973: 366.30 ft, major floodingOct 9, 1986: 368.50 ft, major floodingMay 6, 1990: 370.00 ft, major flooding; 386,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1991: 358.30 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1992: 361.50 ft, minor flooding; 224,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1993: 363.70 ft, moderate flooding; 255,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1994: 355.20 ft, below flood stage; 150,000 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1995: 364.00 ft, moderate flooding; 253,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 356.34 ft, action stageJan 6, 1998: 361.31 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 1998: 356.41 ft, action stageMay 19, 1999: 356.46 ft, action stageMar 22, 2000: 357.91 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 2001: 355.15 ft, below flood stageMar 21, 2002: 357.65 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2008: 362.07 ft, minor flooding; 245,012 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2008: 363.20 ft, moderate flooding; 261,397 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2009: 358.00 ft, minor flooding; 196,997 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 363.03 ft, moderate flooding; 258,932 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2015: 363.77 ft, moderate floodingMay 21, 2015: 358.28 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 2015: 367.71 ft, major floodingJun 1, 2015: 367.41 ft, major floodingJun 16, 2015: 357.82 ft, minor flooding; 193,038 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2015: 357.98 ft, minor flooding; 194,958 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2015: 358.35 ft, minor floodingDec 15, 2015: 357.86 ft, minor flooding; 193,518 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 369.07 ft, major floodingApr 27, 2017: 356.26 ft, action stage; 174,318 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 358.81 ft, minor flooding; 204,563 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2017: 360.79 ft, minor flooding; 227,794 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2018: 357.67 ft, minor flooding; 191,238 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2019: 355.59 ft, action stage; 166,641 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 356.70 ft, action stage; 179,598 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2019: 356.60 ft, action stage; 178,398 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2019: 374.99 ft, major flooding; 637,856 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2019: 361.99 ft, minor flooding; 235,870 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2019: 357.87 ft, minor flooding; 193,638 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2019: 357.02 ft, minor flooding; 183,438 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 2019: 356.34 ft, action stage; 160,090 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2020: 357.32 ft, minor flooding; 173,122 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2020: 359.47 ft, minor flooding; 204,370 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2020: 357.11 ft, minor flooding; 170,267 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2020: 357.78 ft, minor flooding; 179,376 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 358.86 ft, minor flooding; 195,034 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2020: 359.72 ft, minor flooding; 208,197 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2021: 362.78 ft, minor flooding; 250,139 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2021: 355.43 ft, below flood stage; 148,523 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2021: 355.80 ft, action stage; 153,226 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2022: 355.62 ft, action stage; 150,939 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2022: 362.10 ft, minor flooding; 241,260 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2022: 359.86 ft, minor flooding; 210,340 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2023: 357.59 ft, minor flooding; 176,792 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2024: 356.54 ft, action stage; 162,633 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2024: 357.49 ft, minor flooding; 175,433 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 2024: 355.90 ft, action stage; 154,498 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 359.14 ft, minor flooding; 199,319 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2025: 355.22 ft, below flood stage; 145,854 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2025: 358.17 ft, minor flooding; 184,678 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2025: 355.68 ft, action stage; 151,701 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2025: 359.70 ft, minor flooding; 207,891 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2025: 359.18 ft, minor flooding; 199,932 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2025: 359.66 ft, minor flooding; 207,279 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2025: 355.62 ft, action stage; 150,939 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2025: 355.88 ft, action stage; 154,243 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2025: 357.11 ft, minor flooding; 170,267 cubic feet per second Highest, 374.99 ft, May 30, 2019 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 6 2000s: 5 2010s: 17 17 2020s: 17 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 375.50 ft on May 13, 1943.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater
1May 30, 2019374.99+17.99Major637,856
2May 6, 1990370.00+13.00Major386,000
3Dec 29, 2015369.07+12.07Major—
4Oct 9, 1986368.50+11.50Major—
5May 27, 2015367.71+10.71Major—
6Jun 1, 2015367.41+10.41Major—
7Nov 25, 1973366.30+9.30Major—
8Jun 15, 1995364.00+7.00Moderate253,200
9May 11, 2015363.77+6.77Moderate—
10May 12, 1993363.70+6.70Moderate255,000
11Apr 11, 2008363.20+6.20Moderate261,397
12Apr 26, 2011363.03+6.03Moderate258,932
13Apr 29, 2021362.78+5.78Minor250,139
14May 7, 2022362.10+5.10Minor241,260
15Mar 20, 2008362.07+5.07Minor245,012
16Jun 25, 2019361.99+4.99Minor235,870
17Dec 16, 1992361.50+4.50Minor224,000
18Jan 6, 1998361.31+4.31Minor—
19May 21, 2017360.79+3.79Minor227,794
20Jun 11, 2022359.86+2.86Minor210,340
21May 27, 2020359.72+2.72Minor208,197
22May 27, 2025359.70+2.70Minor207,891
23Jun 17, 2025359.66+2.66Minor207,279
24Mar 20, 2020359.47+2.47Minor204,370
25Jun 9, 2025359.18+2.18Minor199,932
26Apr 6, 2025359.14+2.14Minor199,319
27May 17, 2020358.86+1.86Minor195,034
28May 1, 2017358.81+1.81Minor204,563
29Jul 3, 2015358.35+1.35Minor—
30Dec 22, 1991358.30+1.30Minor—
31May 21, 2015358.28+1.28Minor—
32May 2, 2025358.17+1.17Minor184,678
33May 7, 2009358.00+1.00Minor196,997
34Jun 20, 2015357.98+0.98Minor194,958
35Mar 22, 2000357.91+0.91Minor—
36Jul 3, 2019357.87+0.87Minor193,638
37Dec 15, 2015357.86+0.86Minor193,518
38Jun 16, 2015357.82+0.82Minor193,038
39Apr 4, 2020357.78+0.78Minor179,376
40Feb 25, 2018357.67+0.67Minor191,238
41Mar 21, 2002357.65+0.65Minor—
42Mar 25, 2023357.59+0.59Minor176,792
43May 8, 2024357.49+0.49Minor175,433
44Jan 12, 2020357.32+0.32Minor173,122
45Mar 31, 2020357.11+0.11Minor170,267
46Jul 9, 2025357.11+0.11Minor170,267
47Jul 20, 2019357.02+0.02Minor183,438
48May 2, 2019356.70−0.30Action179,598
49May 13, 2019356.60−0.40Action178,398
50May 4, 2024356.54−0.46Action162,633

The worst floods along the Arkansas River

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

May 30, 2019: 374.99 ft here, major flooding

  • Toad Suck Lock and DamAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 285.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • Pine BluffAR · Jun 6, 2019 · 50.86 ft · Major
  • MuskogeeOK · May 26, 2019 · 46.39 ft · Major
  • DardanelleAR · May 30, 2019 · 45.91 ft · Major · its highest
  • MorriltonAR · Jun 4, 2019 · 43.03 ft · Major · its highest
  • Van BurenAR · Jun 1, 2019 · 40.79 ft · Major · its highest
  • PendletonAR · Jun 6, 2019 · 37.63 ft · Major · its highest
  • Little RockAR · Jun 5, 2019 · 29.71 ft · Major
  • HaskellOK · May 29, 2019 · 24.24 ft · Major
  • TulsaOK · May 29, 2019 · 23.51 ft · Major

May 6, 1990: 370.00 ft here, major flooding

December 29, 2015: 369.07 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Arkansas River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Arkansas River
Arkansas CityKS11.020.91 ft, May 9, 20190
DardanelleAR32.045.91 ft, May 30, 20195
DerbyKS12.016.60 ft, Nov 2, 19981
Great BendKS12.017.70 ft, Jun 15, 19810
HutchinsonKS8.013.85 ft, Apr 2, 19730
Little RockAR23.034.60 ft, Jun 17, 183329
MorriltonAR30.043.03 ft, Jun 4, 201910
OxfordKS17.026.85 ft, Nov 2, 19982
Ozark L/D Tailwater this gaugeAR357.0374.99 ft, May 30, 20197
PendletonAR31.037.63 ft, Jun 6, 20194
Pine BluffAR42.052.10 ft, May 28, 19436
RalstonOK16.023.00 ft, Jun 11, 192310
Toad Suck Lock and DamAR275.0285.40 ft, Jun 4, 20195
TulsaOK18.025.21 ft, Oct 5, 19864
Van BurenAR22.040.79 ft, Jun 1, 201918
HaskellOK19.026.02 ft, Jan 1, 19802
HavenKS10.013.08 ft, May 8, 20079
Kinsley 2EKS12.017.60 ft, Jun 21, 19651
MulvaneKS16.520.90 ft, Nov 2, 19980
MuskogeeOK28.048.20 ft, May 21, 194311
Ponca CityOK17.022.26 ft, May 24, 20191

Other gauges in Franklin County

Flood gauges in Franklin County
Mulberry18.023.66 ft, Dec 3, 19822

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arkansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OZGA4, 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.