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Arkansas River at Toad Suck Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 285.40 ftFlood stage 275.0 ft21 crests since 1973

The Arkansas River at Toad Suck Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2025. The highest, 285.40 ft on June 4, 2019, was major flooding, 10.40 feet above flood stage. 13 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
285.40 ft
June 4, 2019
Flood stage
275.0 ft
Major flooding from 280.0 ft
Crests at major
5
36th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 7, 2025
275.14 ft, minor flooding
Location
Faulkner County
Near Conway (4.1 mi)

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 Toad Suck Lock and Dam
Action stage273.01Dec 17, 1992The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)275.05Apr 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage278.06May 13, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage280.05Jun 4, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 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 Toad Suck Lock and Dam, 1973 to 2025 265270275280285290ft Flood stage 275.0 ftMajor 280.0 ft Apr 24, 1973: 279.70 ft, moderate floodingNov 26, 1974: 278.50 ft, moderate floodingDec 4, 1982: 280.20 ft, major floodingOct 12, 1986: 279.50 ft, moderate flooding; 400,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1990: 282.90 ft, major floodingDec 23, 1991: 269.48 ft, below flood stage; 163,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1992: 274.90 ft, action stageMay 13, 1993: 276.00 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 1994: 270.82 ft, below flood stageJun 17, 1995: 277.08 ft, minor flooding; 250,000 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2001: 272.38 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 2002: 272.91 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 2004: 275.03 ft, minor flooding; 251,719 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2008: 278.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 12, 2008: 276.40 ft, minor flooding; 284,662 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 278.90 ft, moderate flooding; 358,600 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2015: 278.13 ft, moderate flooding; 333,732 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2015: 280.45 ft, major floodingJan 1, 2016: 282.57 ft, major floodingJun 4, 2019: 285.40 ft, major floodingApr 7, 2025: 275.14 ft, minor flooding Highest, 285.40 ft, Jun 4, 2019 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Toad Suck Lock and Dam 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 1 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Toad Suck Lock and Dam
1Jun 4, 2019285.40+10.40Major—
2May 7, 1990282.90+7.90Major—
3Jan 1, 2016282.57+7.57Major—
4Jun 3, 2015280.45+5.45Major—
5Dec 4, 1982280.20+5.20Major—
6Apr 24, 1973279.70+4.70Moderate—
7Oct 12, 1986279.50+4.50Moderate400,000
8Apr 28, 2011278.90+3.90Moderate358,600
9Mar 21, 2008278.80+3.80Moderate—
10Nov 26, 1974278.50+3.50Moderate—
11May 13, 2015278.13+3.13Moderate333,732
12Jun 17, 1995277.08+2.08Minor250,000
13Apr 12, 2008276.40+1.40Minor284,662
14May 13, 1993276.00+1.00Minor—
15Apr 7, 2025275.14+0.14Minor—
16Apr 25, 2004275.03+0.03Minor251,719
17Dec 17, 1992274.90−0.10Action—
18Apr 10, 2002272.91−2.09Below flood stage—
19Dec 18, 2001272.38−2.62Below flood stage—
20Nov 6, 1994270.82−4.18Below flood stage—
21Dec 23, 1991269.48−5.52Below flood stage163,000

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.

June 4, 2019: 285.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Ozark L/D TailwaterAR · May 30, 2019 · 374.99 ft · Major · its highest
  • Pine BluffAR · Jun 6, 2019 · 50.86 ft · Major
  • MuskogeeOK · May 30, 2019 · 46.00 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 7, 1990: 282.90 ft here, major flooding

January 1, 2016: 282.57 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 TailwaterAR357.0374.99 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 Dam this gaugeAR275.0285.40 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TODA4, 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.