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Ouachita River at Camden

Highest listed crest 43.87 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft62 crests since 1958

The Ouachita River at Camden crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 62 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1958 to 2025. The highest, 43.87 ft on May 5, 1958, was major flooding, 17.87 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ouachita River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
43.87 ft
May 5, 1958; 181,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
6
30th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 9, 2025
42.29 ft, major flooding
Location
Ouachita County
Near Camden (2.7 mi)

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 Camden
Action stage25.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.039Jan 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage36.017Jan 28, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.06Apr 9, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

62 crests from 1958 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ouachita River at Camden, 1958 to 2025 2530354045ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft May 5, 1958: 43.87 ft, major flooding; 181,000 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1968: 43.08 ft, major flooding; 183,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1969: 39.15 ft, moderate flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1973: 38.50 ft, moderate flooding; 119,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1974: 39.59 ft, moderate flooding; 138,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1979: 35.39 ft, minor flooding; 69,400 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1982: 38.10 ft, moderate flooding; 95,700 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1987: 42.50 ft, major flooding; 173,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1989: 37.40 ft, moderate flooding; 68,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1990: 39.40 ft, moderate flooding; 94,800 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1991: 35.00 ft, minor flooding; 60,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1992: 32.70 ft, minor flooding; 53,900 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1993: 38.69 ft, moderate flooding; 90,300 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1994: 32.91 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 1994: 28.73 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1995: 30.69 ft, minor floodingDec 5, 1996: 32.21 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 1997: 34.50 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1999: 34.16 ft, minor flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2000: 26.81 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2000: 28.00 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2001: 30.72 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 2001: 37.53 ft, moderate floodingDec 21, 2001: 37.44 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 2002: 35.14 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2003: 32.82 ft, minor floodingJan 11, 2005: 32.63 ft, minor flooding; 39,339 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2007: 36.45 ft, moderate flooding; 74,268 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2008: 28.40 ft, minor flooding; 26,448 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2008: 33.58 ft, minor flooding; 49,106 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 36.26 ft, moderate flooding; 72,267 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2008: 37.28 ft, moderate flooding; 83,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2009: 39.12 ft, moderate flooding; 105,967 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 2009: 30.42 ft, minor flooding; 31,920 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2009: 36.87 ft, moderate flooding; 78,622 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2009: 41.16 ft, major flooding; 136,168 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2011: 27.08 ft, minor flooding; 24,177 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2011: 33.43 ft, minor flooding; 48,041 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2015: 36.00 ft, moderate flooding; 69,600 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2015: 32.43 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2015: 35.37 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 2016: 35.54 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 2017: 26.18 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2017: 34.96 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 2018: 41.29 ft, major floodingMay 12, 2019: 36.24 ft, moderate floodingMar 26, 2022: 30.21 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 2022: 32.63 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2022: 31.53 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 2022: 27.79 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 2023: 26.18 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 2023: 32.23 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2023: 32.41 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2023: 33.13 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2023: 29.02 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2023: 33.95 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 2024: 37.36 ft, moderate floodingFeb 15, 2024: 28.38 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2024: 31.03 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2024: 30.10 ft, minor floodingJan 1, 2025: 28.36 ft, minor floodingApr 9, 2025: 42.29 ft, major flooding Highest, 43.87 ft, May 5, 1958 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ouachita River at Camden 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 10 2000s: 17 17 2010s: 10 2020s: 16 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 2 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 46.00 ft on May 12, 1882; 44.82 ft on Apr 3, 1945.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 62 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ouachita River at Camden
1May 5, 195843.87+17.87Major181,000
2May 17, 196843.08+17.08Major183,000
3Dec 29, 198742.50+16.50Major173,000
4Apr 9, 202542.29+16.29Major—
5Feb 26, 201841.29+15.29Major—
6Dec 28, 200941.16+15.16Major136,168
7Jun 12, 197439.59+13.59Moderate138,000
8Mar 12, 199039.40+13.40Moderate94,800
9Feb 3, 196939.15+13.15Moderate141,000
10May 10, 200939.12+13.12Moderate105,967
11Dec 7, 199338.69+12.69Moderate90,300
12Apr 23, 197338.50+12.50Moderate119,000
13Dec 7, 198238.10+12.10Moderate95,700
14Feb 21, 200137.53+11.53Moderate—
15Dec 21, 200137.44+11.44Moderate—
16Apr 2, 198937.40+11.40Moderate68,200
17Jan 28, 202437.36+11.36Moderate—
18Sep 8, 200837.28+11.28Moderate83,000
19Oct 17, 200936.87+10.87Moderate78,622
20Jan 20, 200736.45+10.45Moderate74,268
21Apr 13, 200836.26+10.26Moderate72,267
22May 12, 201936.24+10.24Moderate—
23Mar 17, 201536.00+10.00Moderate69,600
24Jan 2, 201635.54+9.54Minor—
25May 7, 197935.39+9.39Minor69,400
26May 16, 201535.37+9.37Minor—
27Mar 24, 200235.14+9.14Minor—
28May 2, 199135.00+9.00Minor60,300
29May 8, 201734.96+8.96Minor—
30May 3, 199734.50+8.50Minor—
31Mar 17, 199934.16+8.16Minor52,700
32May 16, 202333.95+7.95Minor—
33Mar 24, 200833.58+7.58Minor49,106
34Apr 30, 201133.43+7.43Minor48,041
35Mar 15, 202333.13+7.13Minor—
36Jan 31, 199432.91+6.91Minor—
37Jun 22, 200332.82+6.82Minor—
38Mar 14, 199232.70+6.70Minor53,900
39Jan 11, 200532.63+6.63Minor39,339
40Apr 20, 202232.63+6.63Minor—
41Apr 29, 201532.43+6.43Minor—
42Feb 14, 202332.41+6.41Minor—
43Feb 5, 202332.23+6.23Minor—
44Dec 5, 199632.21+6.21Minor—
45May 9, 202231.53+5.53Minor—
46Apr 14, 202431.03+5.03Minor—
47Jan 2, 200130.72+4.72Minor—
48Jan 22, 199530.69+4.69Minor—
49Sep 21, 200930.42+4.42Minor31,920
50Mar 26, 202230.21+4.21Minor—

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.

May 5, 1958: 43.87 ft here, major flooding

May 17, 1968: 43.08 ft here, major flooding

December 29, 1987: 42.50 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
ArkadelphiaAR17.030.30 ft, Mar 30, 194513
Camden this gaugeAR26.043.87 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CAMA4, 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.