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Ouachita River at Arkadelphia

Highest listed crest 30.30 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft78 crests since 1914

The Ouachita River at Arkadelphia crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 78 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2025. The highest, 30.30 ft on March 30, 1945, was major flooding, 13.30 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ouachita River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.30 ft
March 30, 1945; 170,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
13
12th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
27.95 ft, major flooding
Location
Clark County
Arkansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ouachita River at Arkadelphia
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.041Jan 24, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.024Mar 2, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.013Apr 6, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

78 crests from 1914 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ouachita River at Arkadelphia, 1914 to 2025 1520253035ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Apr 29, 1914: 26.20 ft, moderate floodingAug 22, 1915: 26.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 1920: 27.90 ft, major floodingMay 15, 1923: 28.30 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1927: 29.20 ft, major flooding; 133,000 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1930: 25.40 ft, moderate flooding; 68,500 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1932: 26.72 ft, moderate flooding; 89,100 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1935: 26.97 ft, moderate flooding; 94,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1937: 26.03 ft, moderate flooding; 81,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1938: 28.97 ft, major flooding; 133,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1939: 28.87 ft, major flooding; 131,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1942: 26.75 ft, moderate flooding; 94,700 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1944: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 86,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1945: 30.30 ft, major flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1949: 28.15 ft, major flooding; 139,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1950: 25.92 ft, moderate flooding; 76,600 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1951: 26.20 ft, moderate flooding; 81,100 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1952: 25.15 ft, moderate flooding; 73,100 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1954: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 45,200 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1955: 23.90 ft, minor flooding; 51,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1956: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1957: 24.20 ft, moderate flooding; 55,100 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1958: 27.65 ft, major flooding; 119,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1959: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1961: 24.20 ft, moderate flooding; 55,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 21.65 ft, minor flooding; 33,600 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1963: 19.18 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1964: 25.13 ft, moderate flooding; 58,800 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1966: 26.00 ft, moderate flooding; 71,300 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1967: 23.56 ft, minor flooding; 47,400 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1968: 30.08 ft, major flooding; 162,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 28.02 ft, major flooding; 121,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1973: 24.90 ft, moderate flooding; 61,700 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1974: 27.02 ft, major flooding; 56,500 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1977: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1979: 19.90 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1982: 25.97 ft, moderate flooding; 71,000 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1984: 21.10 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1985: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 36,700 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1986: 23.60 ft, minor flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1987: 24.50 ft, moderate flooding; 57,900 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 1988: 21.50 ft, minor flooding; 36,700 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1990: 24.90 ft, moderate flooding; 62,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1990: 27.23 ft, major flooding; 91,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1991: 19.10 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1992: 18.46 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 1993: 23.56 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 1994: 17.93 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 1995: 18.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 2001: 22.69 ft, minor floodingDec 18, 2001: 22.25 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2002: 18.49 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2003: 17.58 ft, minor floodingJan 15, 2007: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 47,417 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2008: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 25,975 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2008: 25.52 ft, moderate flooding; 68,675 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2008: 21.02 ft, minor flooding; 33,879 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2008: 25.89 ft, moderate floodingMay 7, 2009: 24.81 ft, moderate flooding; 60,963 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2009: 18.83 ft, minor flooding; 25,761 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2011: 19.94 ft, minor flooding; 29,753 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 2011: 21.02 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2015: 19.55 ft, minor flooding; 28,282 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2015: 22.53 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2015: 17.80 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 2015: 17.49 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2015: 22.47 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2017: 22.22 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2018: 24.49 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 2018: 24.62 ft, moderate floodingMay 9, 2019: 20.25 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 2022: 19.22 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 2022: 20.42 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 2022: 18.37 ft, minor floodingFeb 9, 2023: 20.01 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 2023: 21.02 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 2024: 23.17 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2025: 27.95 ft, major flooding Highest, 30.30 ft, Mar 30, 1945 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ouachita River at Arkadelphia 1910s: 2 1920s: 3 1930s: 6 1940s: 4 1950s: 9 1960s: 8 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 11 11 2010s: 11 2020s: 7 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 78 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ouachita River at Arkadelphia
1Mar 30, 194530.30+13.30Major170,000
2May 14, 196830.08+13.08Major162,000
3May 21, 192729.20+12.20Major133,000
4Feb 19, 193828.97+11.97Major133,000
5Apr 17, 193928.87+11.87Major131,000
6May 15, 192328.30+11.30Major—
7Jan 27, 194928.15+11.15Major139,000
8Jan 31, 196928.02+11.02Major121,000
9Apr 6, 202527.95+10.95Major—
10May 12, 192027.90+10.90Major—
11May 3, 195827.65+10.65Major119,000
12May 20, 199027.23+10.23Major91,400
13Jun 8, 197427.02+10.02Major56,500
14May 6, 193526.97+9.97Moderate94,000
15Apr 9, 194226.75+9.75Moderate94,700
16Jan 5, 193226.72+9.72Moderate89,100
17Aug 22, 191526.30+9.30Moderate—
18Apr 29, 191426.20+9.20Moderate—
19Jul 3, 195126.20+9.20Moderate81,100
20Jan 22, 193726.03+9.03Moderate81,400
21May 26, 196626.00+9.00Moderate71,300
22Dec 4, 198225.97+8.97Moderate71,000
23Feb 13, 195025.92+8.92Moderate76,600
24May 2, 194425.90+8.90Moderate86,400
25Sep 4, 200825.89+8.89Moderate—
26Apr 5, 200825.52+8.52Moderate68,675
27Jan 10, 193025.40+8.40Moderate68,500
28Dec 4, 195225.15+8.15Moderate73,100
29Apr 24, 196425.13+8.13Moderate58,800
30Apr 24, 197324.90+7.90Moderate61,700
31Mar 9, 199024.90+7.90Moderate62,000
32May 7, 200924.81+7.81Moderate60,963
33Mar 2, 201824.62+7.62Moderate—
34Dec 27, 198724.50+7.50Moderate57,900
35Feb 24, 201824.49+7.49Moderate—
36Apr 4, 195724.20+7.20Moderate55,100
37May 7, 196124.20+7.20Moderate55,100
38Mar 21, 195523.90+6.90Minor51,100
39Apr 6, 198623.60+6.60Minor50,200
40May 7, 196723.56+6.56Minor47,400
41Dec 4, 199323.56+6.56Minor—
42May 3, 195423.30+6.30Minor45,200
43Jan 15, 200723.30+6.30Minor47,417
44Jan 24, 202423.17+6.17Minor—
45Feb 17, 200122.69+5.69Minor—
46May 12, 201522.53+5.53Minor—
47Dec 29, 201522.47+5.47Minor—
48Dec 18, 200122.25+5.25Minor—
49May 1, 201722.22+5.22Minor—
50Feb 28, 196221.65+4.65Minor33,600

The worst floods along the Ouachita River

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

March 30, 1945: 30.30 ft here, major flooding

  • Thatcher L&DAR · Apr 6, 1945 · 96.30 ft · Major · its highest

May 14, 1968: 30.08 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Ouachita River

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

Flood gauges on the Ouachita River
Arkadelphia this gaugeAR17.030.30 ft, Mar 30, 194513
CamdenAR26.043.87 ft, May 5, 19586
Columbia Lock and DamLA65.072.37 ft, May 5, 19912
Felsenthal Lock and DamAR70.086.40 ft, May 10, 19915
MonroeLA40.048.60 ft, May 4, 192717
Moro Bay State ParkAR82.089.95 ft, May 21, 19687
Thatcher L&DAR79.096.30 ft, Apr 6, 19452

Other gauges in Clark County

Flood gauges in Clark County
Boughton20.027.20 ft, Mar 31, 19452

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AKDA4, 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.