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Ouachita River at Felsenthal Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 86.40 ftFlood stage 70.0 ft23 crests since 1988

The Ouachita River at Felsenthal Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1988 to 2021. The highest, 86.40 ft on May 10, 1991, was major flooding, 16.40 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges 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
86.40 ft
May 10, 1991
Flood stage
70.0 ft
Major flooding from 83.0 ft
Crests at major
5
36th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
March 12, 2021
77.12 ft, minor flooding
Location
Union 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 Felsenthal Lock and Dam
Action stage70.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)70.013Mar 12, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage81.05Mar 22, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage83.05May 20, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1988 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ouachita River at Felsenthal Lock and Dam, 1988 to 2021 7075808590ft Flood stage 70.0 ftMajor 83.0 ft Jan 8, 1988: 81.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1990: 81.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1991: 86.40 ft, major floodingMar 25, 1992: 74.60 ft, minor floodingDec 23, 1993: 72.30 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1994: 73.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 3, 1995: 72.50 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 2001: 82.40 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 2001: 79.90 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 2009: 84.30 ft, major floodingNov 9, 2009: 85.78 ft, major floodingJan 5, 2010: 82.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 2011: 72.30 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2012: 73.30 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 2015: 79.00 ft, minor flooding; 75,800 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2015: 70.20 ft, minor flooding; 34,700 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2016: 74.60 ft, minor flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2016: 82.95 ft, moderate flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2017: 72.16 ft, minor flooding; 41,600 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2018: 85.49 ft, major flooding; 130,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2019: 83.10 ft, major floodingFeb 28, 2020: 79.20 ft, minor flooding; 77,100 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2021: 77.12 ft, minor flooding; 64,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 86.40 ft, May 10, 1991 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ouachita River at Felsenthal Lock and Dam 1980s: 1 1990s: 6 2000s: 4 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 6 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 88.30 ft on Apr 11, 1945; 87.10 ft on May 14, 1958; 85.70 ft on May 5, 1973; 80.19 ft on Jan 31, 1974; 81.90 ft on Dec 31, 1982; 84.20 ft on Jan 6, 1983.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Ouachita River at Felsenthal Lock and Dam
1May 10, 199186.40+16.40Major—
2Nov 9, 200985.78+15.78Major—
3Mar 11, 201885.49+15.49Major130,000
4May 22, 200984.30+14.30Major—
5May 20, 201983.10+13.10Major—
6Mar 22, 201682.95+12.95Moderate100,000
7Mar 17, 200182.40+12.40Moderate—
8Jan 5, 201082.30+12.30Moderate—
9Jan 8, 198881.40+11.40Moderate—
10Apr 14, 199081.00+11.00Moderate—
11Dec 30, 200179.90+9.90Minor—
12Feb 28, 202079.20+9.20Minor77,100
13Mar 29, 201579.00+9.00Minor75,800
14Mar 12, 202177.12+7.12Minor64,700
15Mar 25, 199274.60+4.60Minor—
16Jan 13, 201674.60+4.60Minor52,700
17Mar 13, 199473.50+3.50Minor—
18Apr 5, 201273.30+3.30Minor—
19Feb 3, 199572.50+2.50Minor—
20Dec 23, 199372.30+2.30Minor—
21May 14, 201172.30+2.30Minor—
22May 19, 201772.16+2.16Minor41,600
23Dec 14, 201570.20+0.20Minor34,700

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 10, 1991: 86.40 ft here, major flooding

November 9, 2009: 85.78 ft here, major flooding

March 11, 2018: 85.49 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
CamdenAR26.043.87 ft, May 5, 19586
Columbia Lock and DamLA65.072.37 ft, May 5, 19912
Felsenthal Lock and Dam this gaugeAR70.086.40 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 Union County

Flood gauges in Union County
Thatcher L&D79.096.30 ft, Apr 6, 19452

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FELA4, 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.