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Black River at Black Rock

Highest listed crest 31.90 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft103 crests since 1905

The Black River at Black Rock crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 103 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1905 to 2025. The highest, 31.90 ft on August 21, 1915, was major flooding, 17.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.90 ft
August 21, 1915; 160,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
12
16th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
29.74 ft, major flooding
Location
Lawrence County
Arkansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Black River at Black Rock
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.064Dec 29, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.027Dec 29, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.012Apr 6, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

103 crests from 1905 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Black River at Black Rock, 1905 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft May 8, 1905: 22.90 ft, minor flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1906: 24.50 ft, minor flooding; 51,700 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1907: 26.00 ft, moderate flooding; 69,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1908: 23.40 ft, minor flooding; 41,400 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1909: 25.00 ft, moderate flooding; 56,900 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1912: 23.50 ft, minor flooding; 42,200 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1913: 24.40 ft, minor flooding; 50,700 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1915: 31.90 ft, major flooding; 160,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1916: 26.50 ft, moderate flooding; 75,600 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1917: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1918: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 67,800 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1921: 25.70 ft, moderate flooding; 65,300 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1922: 23.40 ft, minor flooding; 41,400 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1923: 24.30 ft, minor flooding; 49,600 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1925: 20.80 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1927: 30.30 ft, major flooding; 132,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1928: 26.20 ft, moderate flooding; 71,700 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1929: 24.70 ft, minor flooding; 53,800 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1930: 23.60 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1933: 23.10 ft, minor flooding; 38,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1935: 26.70 ft, moderate flooding; 78,300 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1937: 26.20 ft, moderate flooding; 71,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1938: 25.50 ft, moderate flooding; 63,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1939: 24.80 ft, minor flooding; 54,800 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1943: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 68,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1944: 22.00 ft, minor flooding; 31,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1945: 27.20 ft, moderate flooding; 87,400 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1946: 23.60 ft, minor flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1949: 28.50 ft, major flooding; 103,000 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1950: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 67,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1951: 23.10 ft, minor flooding; 38,800 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1951: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 40,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1957: 26.90 ft, moderate flooding; 77,800 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1958: 24.50 ft, minor flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 1958: 25.10 ft, moderate flooding; 57,800 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1961: 28.00 ft, major flooding; 96,300 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 27.80 ft, moderate flooding; 90,800 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1966: 26.80 ft, moderate flooding; 75,100 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1968: 23.80 ft, minor flooding; 40,700 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 27.72 ft, moderate flooding; 89,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1970: 23.04 ft, minor flooding; 35,700 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1973: 29.24 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1973: 25.93 ft, moderate flooding; 61,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1975: 27.90 ft, moderate flooding; 94,500 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1977: 28.10 ft, major flooding; 109,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 25.61 ft, moderate flooding; 63,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1982: 24.92 ft, minor flooding; 56,600 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1982: 31.51 ft, major flooding; 190,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1984: 26.22 ft, moderate flooding; 70,800 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1985: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 73,000 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1985: 21.81 ft, minor flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1987: 22.26 ft, minor flooding; 35,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1989: 25.96 ft, moderate flooding; 73,300 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1990: 21.38 ft, minor flooding; 32,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1991: 24.64 ft, minor flooding; 54,300 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1991: 23.06 ft, minor flooding; 42,100 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1992: 21.80 ft, minor floodingNov 19, 1993: 23.15 ft, minor flooding; 43,600 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1994: 23.00 ft, minor flooding; 40,600 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1996: 20.47 ft, minor flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 25.05 ft, moderate flooding; 57,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1998: 21.13 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1999: 19.34 ft, minor flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2000: 18.94 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2001: 23.29 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 2002: 25.43 ft, moderate floodingMay 19, 2002: 24.86 ft, minor flooding; 56,300 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 20.66 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2006: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2007: 24.58 ft, minor flooding; 53,753 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2008: 16.49 ft, minor flooding; 19,632 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2008: 29.74 ft, major flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2008: 28.61 ft, major flooding; 107,834 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2009: 22.74 ft, minor flooding; 39,874 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2009: 27.60 ft, moderate flooding; 89,584 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2009: 24.41 ft, minor flooding; 52,326 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2011: 30.45 ft, major flooding; 155,597 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 2011: 21.12 ft, minor floodingAug 12, 2013: 19.01 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 2014: 25.74 ft, moderate flooding; 69,182 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2015: 24.40 ft, minor flooding; 52,701 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2015: 20.82 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2015: 18.56 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2015: 27.15 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 2017: 17.21 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2017: 30.00 ft, major floodingFeb 25, 2018: 23.43 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 2018: 23.29 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2019: 24.00 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2022: 19.68 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 2022: 20.24 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2022: 20.29 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 2022: 23.21 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2022: 23.92 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 2023: 17.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 2023: 22.72 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 2023: 24.03 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 2023: 16.16 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 2024: 19.49 ft, minor floodingJun 1, 2024: 16.32 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 2024: 21.41 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2024: 19.84 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2025: 29.74 ft, major flooding Highest, 31.90 ft, Aug 21, 1915 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Black River at Black Rock 1900s: 5 1910s: 6 1920s: 7 1930s: 6 1940s: 5 1950s: 6 1960s: 5 1970s: 6 1980s: 7 1990s: 10 2000s: 13 2010s: 13 2020s: 14 14 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 103 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Black River at Black Rock
1Aug 21, 191531.90+17.90Major160,000
2Dec 4, 198231.51+17.51Major190,000
3Apr 27, 201130.45+16.45Major155,597
4Apr 15, 192730.30+16.30Major132,000
5May 1, 201730.00+16.00Major—
6Mar 20, 200829.74+15.74Major135,000
7Apr 6, 202529.74+15.74Major—
8Apr 24, 197329.24+15.24Major105,000
9Apr 12, 200828.61+14.61Major107,834
10Jan 25, 194928.50+14.50Major103,000
11Mar 29, 197728.10+14.10Major109,000
12May 8, 196128.00+14.00Major96,300
13Mar 29, 197527.90+13.90Moderate94,500
14Mar 10, 196427.80+13.80Moderate90,800
15Jan 31, 196927.72+13.72Moderate89,500
16Oct 31, 200927.60+13.60Moderate89,584
17Mar 31, 194527.20+13.20Moderate87,400
18Dec 29, 201527.15+13.15Moderate—
19Apr 5, 195726.90+12.90Moderate77,800
20Jan 2, 196626.80+12.80Moderate75,100
21Mar 12, 193526.70+12.70Moderate78,300
22Jan 31, 191626.50+12.50Moderate75,600
23Dec 23, 198426.22+12.22Moderate70,800
24Jun 14, 192826.20+12.20Moderate71,700
25Jan 16, 193726.20+12.20Moderate71,700
26Jan 4, 190726.00+12.00Moderate69,000
27Feb 16, 198925.96+11.96Moderate73,300
28Dec 5, 197325.93+11.93Moderate61,600
29May 14, 191825.90+11.90Moderate67,800
30Jan 5, 195025.90+11.90Moderate67,800
31Apr 1, 198525.90+11.90Moderate73,000
32Apr 29, 201425.74+11.74Moderate69,182
33Apr 28, 192125.70+11.70Moderate65,300
34Mar 4, 197925.61+11.61Moderate63,400
35Feb 19, 193825.50+11.50Moderate63,000
36Mar 27, 200225.43+11.43Moderate—
37Nov 18, 195825.10+11.10Moderate57,800
38Apr 6, 199725.05+11.05Moderate57,900
39Mar 10, 190925.00+11.00Moderate56,900
40Feb 1, 198224.92+10.92Minor56,600
41May 19, 200224.86+10.86Minor56,300
42Apr 18, 193924.80+10.80Minor54,800
43Jan 26, 192924.70+10.70Minor53,800
44Apr 19, 199124.64+10.64Minor54,300
45Apr 3, 191724.60+10.60Minor52,700
46Sep 24, 200624.60+10.60Minor54,000
47Jan 16, 200724.58+10.58Minor53,753
48Jan 23, 190624.50+10.50Minor51,700
49May 6, 195824.50+10.50Minor50,200
50Dec 26, 200924.41+10.41Minor52,326

The worst floods along the Black River

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

December 4, 1982: 31.51 ft here, major flooding

April 27, 2011: 30.45 ft here, major flooding

  • PocahontasAR · Apr 28, 2011 · 28.47 ft · Major
  • Poplar BluffMO · Apr 26, 2011 · 21.41 ft · Major
  • CorningAR · Apr 28, 2011 · 18.12 ft · Major · its highest
  • AnnapolisMO · Apr 26, 2011 · 16.85 ft · Moderate

April 15, 1927: 30.30 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Black River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Black River
AnnapolisMO8.028.73 ft, Jul 10, 20263
Poplar BluffMO16.022.15 ft, Mar 20, 20085
CorningAR15.018.12 ft, Apr 28, 20112
PocahontasAR17.028.95 ft, May 3, 20179
Black Rock this gaugeAR14.031.90 ft, Aug 21, 191512

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BKRA4, 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.