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Red River at Coushatta

Highest listed crest 39.90 ftFlood stage 31.0 ft31 crests since 1890

The Red River at Coushatta crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1890 to 2019. The highest, 39.90 ft on April 7, 1945, was major flooding, 8.90 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Red River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.90 ft
April 7, 1945; 275,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
31.0 ft
Major flooding from 37.0 ft
Crests at major
6
28th of 107 gauges in Louisiana
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 2019
33.29 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Red River Parish
Louisiana

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red River at Coushatta
Action stage30.53Dec 8, 1974The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)31.012May 11, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage33.08May 14, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage37.06Jun 11, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1890 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red River at Coushatta, 1890 to 2019 28303234363840ft Flood stage 31.0 ftMajor 37.0 ft Feb 15, 1890: 38.10 ft, major floodingJun 5, 1892: 39.20 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1938: 34.30 ft, moderate flooding; 181,000 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1941: 31.18 ft, minor flooding; 158,000 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1942: 35.25 ft, moderate flooding; 178,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1944: 31.20 ft, minor flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1945: 39.90 ft, major flooding; 275,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1949: 30.75 ft, action stage; 157,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1950: 31.75 ft, minor flooding; 162,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1958: 38.45 ft, major floodingMay 6, 1966: 34.51 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1968: 30.72 ft, action stageApr 30, 1973: 32.35 ft, minor floodingDec 8, 1974: 30.85 ft, action stageMay 17, 1990: 37.50 ft, major floodingMay 9, 1991: 30.40 ft, below flood stageApr 7, 1994: 31.90 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 1995: 29.30 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1997: 32.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 2001: 32.40 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 2001: 35.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 21, 2001: 31.50 ft, minor floodingOct 18, 2009: 32.35 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 2015: 38.83 ft, major flooding; 190,000 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2015: 31.00 ft, minor flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2016: 32.99 ft, minor flooding; 155,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2016: 36.87 ft, moderate flooding; 172,500 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2016: 33.56 ft, moderate flooding; 158,000 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2016: 31.02 ft, minor flooding; 135,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2018: 34.50 ft, moderate flooding; 162,000 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2019: 33.29 ft, moderate flooding; 156,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 39.90 ft, Apr 7, 1945 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red River at Coushatta 1890s: 2 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 4 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 4 2010s: 8 8 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Red River at Coushatta
1Apr 7, 194539.90+8.90Major275,000
2Jun 5, 189239.20+8.20Major—
3Jun 11, 201538.83+7.83Major190,000
4May 9, 195838.45+7.45Major—
5Feb 15, 189038.10+7.10Major—
6May 17, 199037.50+6.50Major—
7Mar 16, 201636.87+5.87Moderate172,500
8May 6, 194235.25+4.25Moderate178,000
9Mar 9, 200135.20+4.20Moderate—
10May 6, 196634.51+3.51Moderate—
11Mar 5, 201834.50+3.50Moderate162,000
12Mar 1, 193834.30+3.30Moderate181,000
13May 6, 201633.56+2.56Moderate158,000
14May 14, 201933.29+2.29Moderate156,000
15Jan 4, 201632.99+1.99Minor155,000
16Mar 7, 199732.40+1.40Minor—
17Feb 21, 200132.40+1.40Minor—
18Apr 30, 197332.35+1.35Minor—
19Oct 18, 200932.35+1.35Minor—
20Apr 7, 199431.90+0.90Minor—
21Feb 19, 195031.75+0.75Minor162,000
22Dec 21, 200131.50+0.50Minor—
23May 9, 194431.20+0.20Minor141,000
24May 11, 194131.18+0.18Minor158,000
25May 11, 201631.02+0.02Minor135,000
26Dec 18, 201531.000.00Minor135,000
27Dec 8, 197430.85−0.15Action—
28Feb 2, 194930.75−0.25Action157,000
29May 23, 196830.72−0.28Action—
30May 9, 199130.40−0.60Below flood stage—
31May 13, 199529.30−1.70Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Red River

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

April 7, 1945: 39.90 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand EcoreLA · Apr 10, 1945 · 44.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • ShreveportLA · Apr 7, 1945 · 38.30 ft · Major
  • FultonAR · Apr 2, 1945 · 37.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • IndexAR · Apr 1, 1945 · 28.05 ft · Major

June 5, 1892: 39.20 ft here, major flooding

  • AlexandriaLA · Jun 12, 1892 · 38.25 ft · Moderate

June 11, 2015: 38.83 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Red River

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

Flood gauges on the Red River
Red River Lock 1LA53.058.33 ft, Mar 21, 20160
AlexandriaLA32.045.23 ft, Apr 17, 194510
Arthur CityOK27.043.20 ft, May 28, 19088
Coushatta this gaugeLA31.039.90 ft, Apr 7, 19456
FultonAR27.037.40 ft, Apr 2, 19453
Grand EcoreLA33.044.70 ft, Apr 10, 194511
IndexAR25.034.40 ft, Feb 23, 19388
ShreveportLA30.045.90 ft, Aug 10, 184937
Spring Bank FerryAR37.044.23 ft, Jun 7, 20151
Dekalb - Pecan PointTX24.036.00 ft, Feb 15, 19388

Red River Parish: every hazard · River floods across the country · Louisiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CSHL1, 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.