Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Sheyenne River at Lisbon

Highest listed crest 22.86 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft72 crests since 1950

The Sheyenne River at Lisbon crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 72 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2026. The highest, 22.86 ft on April 16, 2009, was major flooding, 7.86 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Sheyenne River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.86 ft
April 16, 2009; 9,250 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
7
14th of 54 gauges in North Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 4, 2022
19.31 ft, major flooding
Location
Ransom County
North Dakota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sheyenne River at Lisbon
Action stage11.012Apr 21, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.08Apr 10, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.01May 2, 1979Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.07May 4, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

72 crests from 1950 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sheyenne River at Lisbon, 1950 to 2026 0510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft May 1, 1950: 13.83 ft, action stageSep 7, 1957: 5.20 ft, below flood stage; 612 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1958: 4.62 ft, below flood stageJun 29, 1959: 4.28 ft, below flood stage; 451 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1960: 9.85 ft, below flood stageMar 6, 1961: 4.61 ft, below flood stage; 482 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1962: 10.55 ft, below flood stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1963: 3.02 ft, below flood stage; 207 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1964: 4.96 ft, below flood stage; 634 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1965: 16.02 ft, minor flooding; 3,630 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1966: 16.23 ft, minor flooding; 4,260 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1967: 8.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1968: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1969: 16.54 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1970: 8.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1971: 9.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1972: 10.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 677 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1974: 10.25 ft, below flood stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1975: 19.04 ft, major flooding; 5,270 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1976: 6.29 ft, below flood stage; 984 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1977: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1978: 11.73 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1979: 17.58 ft, moderate flooding; 4,880 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1980: 7.01 ft, below flood stage; 760 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1981: 4.30 ft, below flood stage; 460 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1982: 11.48 ft, action stageMar 17, 1983: 13.75 ft, action stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1984: 11.71 ft, action stageMay 19, 1985: 5.13 ft, below flood stage; 642 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1986: 10.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,110 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1987: 14.07 ft, action stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1988: 4.34 ft, below flood stageMar 30, 1989: 10.14 ft, below flood stageJun 4, 1990: 3.74 ft, below flood stage; 311 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1991: 3.49 ft, below flood stage; 261 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1992: 9.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1993: 16.34 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1994: 10.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,980 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1995: 15.46 ft, minor flooding; 4,090 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1996: 19.20 ft, major floodingApr 5, 1997: 19.29 ft, major floodingMar 5, 1998: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1999: 12.85 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2000: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 12.46 ft, action stage; 2,880 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2002: 4.92 ft, below flood stage; 541 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2004: 14.04 ft, action stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2005: 9.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2006: 8.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2007: 11.61 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2008: 5.58 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 2009: 22.86 ft, major flooding; 9,250 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2010: 19.46 ft, major flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2011: 21.70 ft, major flooding; 8,280 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2012: 6.14 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 2012: 5.72 ft, below flood stage; 821 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2013: 11.24 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2014: 9.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2015: 10.03 ft, below flood stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2016: 7.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2017: 10.43 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2018: 9.91 ft, below flood stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2019: 15.97 ft, minor flooding; 4,510 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2019: 15.44 ft, minor flooding; 4,190 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2020: 15.54 ft, minor flooding; 4,240 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2021: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 894 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2022: 19.31 ft, major flooding; 6,520 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2023: 13.10 ft, action stageJun 24, 2024: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2025: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2026: 8.16 ft, below flood stage Highest, 22.86 ft, Apr 16, 2009 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sheyenne River at Lisbon 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 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.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 72 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Sheyenne River at Lisbon
1Apr 16, 200922.86+7.86Major9,250
2Apr 20, 201121.70+6.70Major8,280
3Mar 22, 201019.46+4.46Major5,300
4May 4, 202219.31+4.31Major6,520
5Apr 5, 199719.29+4.29Major—
6Apr 13, 199619.20+4.20Major—
7Jul 1, 197519.04+4.04Major5,270
8May 2, 197917.58+2.58Moderate4,880
9Apr 24, 196916.54+1.54Minor4,380
10Aug 2, 199316.34+1.34Minor3,790
11Mar 30, 196616.23+1.23Minor4,260
12Apr 14, 196516.02+1.02Minor3,630
13Apr 8, 201915.97+0.97Minor4,510
14Apr 10, 202015.54+0.54Minor4,240
15Apr 6, 199515.46+0.46Minor4,090
16Oct 24, 201915.44+0.44Minor4,190
17Mar 23, 198714.07−0.93Action3,000
18Apr 13, 200414.04−0.96Action3,210
19May 1, 195013.83−1.17Action—
20Mar 17, 198313.75−1.25Action2,370
21Apr 21, 202313.10−1.90Action—
22Apr 4, 199912.85−2.15Action2,870
23Apr 14, 200112.46−2.54Action2,880
24Mar 23, 197811.73−3.27Action1,410
25Mar 27, 198411.71−3.29Action—
26Jun 20, 200711.61−3.39Action2,540
27Apr 3, 198211.48−3.52Action—
28Jun 23, 201311.24−3.76Action2,490
29Mar 5, 199810.90−4.10Below flood stage1,900
30Apr 21, 198610.75−4.25Below flood stage2,110
31Apr 5, 199410.70−4.30Below flood stage1,980
32Jul 7, 196210.55−4.45Below flood stage2,210
33Apr 28, 201710.43−4.57Below flood stage2,220
34Mar 16, 197210.33−4.67Below flood stage1,450
35Apr 25, 197410.25−4.75Below flood stage2,020
36Mar 30, 198910.14−4.86Below flood stage—
37Jun 23, 200010.09−4.91Below flood stage2,060
38May 22, 201510.03−4.97Below flood stage2,080
39Apr 22, 20189.91−5.09Below flood stage2,070
40Mar 29, 19609.85−5.15Below flood stage—
41Apr 28, 19719.67−5.33Below flood stage1,850
42Jun 16, 20059.31−5.69Below flood stage1,860
43Apr 17, 20149.20−5.80Below flood stage1,810
44Mar 11, 19929.18−5.82Below flood stage1,500
45Jun 24, 20248.83−6.17Below flood stage1,650
46May 29, 19708.70−6.30Below flood stage1,500
47Apr 15, 19678.52−6.48Below flood stage1,580
48Aug 8, 20258.27−6.73Below flood stage1,600
49Apr 1, 20068.26−6.74Below flood stage1,450
50Apr 4, 20268.16−6.84Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Sheyenne River

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

April 16, 2009: 22.86 ft here, major flooding

  • Valley CityND · Apr 13, 2009 · 20.69 ft · Major · its highest

April 20, 2011: 21.70 ft here, major flooding

  • KindredND · Apr 22, 2011 · 21.35 ft · Major
  • Valley CityND · Apr 18, 2011 · 20.66 ft · Major

March 22, 2010: 19.46 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Sheyenne River

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

Flood gauges on the Sheyenne River
Valley CityND15.020.69 ft, Apr 13, 20099
Lisbon this gaugeND15.022.86 ft, Apr 16, 20097
KindredND16.022.33 ft, Apr 8, 199712
West Fargo DiversionND18.028.77 ft, Apr 18, 199613
HarwoodND84.092.02 ft, Apr 16, 19977

Other gauges in Ransom County

Flood gauges in Ransom County
Enderlin9.515.41 ft, Jun 30, 19752

Ransom County: every hazard · River floods across the country · North Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LBNN8, 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.