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Sheyenne River at West Fargo Diversion

Highest listed crest 28.77 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft35 crests since 1993

The Sheyenne River at West Fargo Diversion crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1993 to 2026. The highest, 28.77 ft on April 18, 1996, was major flooding, 10.77 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Sheyenne River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.77 ft
April 18, 1996
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
13
7th of 54 gauges in North Dakota
Most recent flood crest
April 24, 2023
21.06 ft, major flooding
Location
Cass County
Near West Fargo (2.5 mi), Fargo (4.5 mi), Moorhead (8.3 mi)

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 West Fargo Diversion
Action stage16.02Apr 29, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.03Jun 19, 2007Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.03Oct 14, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.013Apr 24, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1993 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sheyenne River at West Fargo Diversion, 1993 to 2026 51015202530ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Jul 26, 1993: 21.53 ft, major floodingMar 29, 1994: 25.93 ft, major flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1995: 27.97 ft, major floodingApr 18, 1996: 28.77 ft, major floodingMay 17, 1998: 15.09 ft, below flood stageApr 5, 1999: 19.78 ft, minor flooding; 3,210 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2000: 20.70 ft, moderate floodingApr 11, 2001: 22.04 ft, major flooding; 3,550 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2002: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 284 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2003: 9.96 ft, below flood stageApr 18, 2004: 17.72 ft, action stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2005: 19.67 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 2006: 21.94 ft, major floodingJun 19, 2007: 18.96 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 2008: 13.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2009: 22.88 ft, major floodingMar 25, 2010: 22.22 ft, major floodingApr 8, 2011: 22.80 ft, major floodingMar 19, 2012: 11.37 ft, below flood stage; 514 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2013: 20.43 ft, moderate flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2014: 16.60 ft, action stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2015: 15.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2016: 11.17 ft, below flood stageJun 1, 2016: 11.06 ft, below flood stage; 826 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 14.39 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2018: 14.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2019: 22.52 ft, major flooding; 4,510 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2019: 20.54 ft, moderate flooding; 3,260 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2020: 21.69 ft, major flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 2021: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 484 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2022: 21.98 ft, major flooding; 4,830 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2023: 21.06 ft, major flooding; 4,250 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2024: 14.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2025: 13.32 ft, below flood stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2026: 12.91 ft, below flood stage Highest, 28.77 ft, Apr 18, 1996 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sheyenne River at West Fargo Diversion 1990s: 5 2000s: 6 6 2010s: 5 2020s: 3 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 22.90 ft on Apr 9, 1997.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Sheyenne River at West Fargo Diversion
1Apr 18, 199628.77+10.77Major—
2Mar 29, 199527.97+9.97Major—
3Mar 29, 199425.93+7.93Major1,700
4Mar 27, 200922.88+4.88Major—
5Apr 8, 201122.80+4.80Major—
6Apr 10, 201922.52+4.52Major4,510
7Mar 25, 201022.22+4.22Major—
8Apr 11, 200122.04+4.04Major3,550
9May 12, 202221.98+3.98Major4,830
10Apr 3, 200621.94+3.94Major—
11Apr 9, 202021.69+3.69Major4,200
12Jul 26, 199321.53+3.53Major—
13Apr 24, 202321.06+3.06Major4,250
14Jun 24, 200020.70+2.70Moderate—
15Oct 14, 201920.54+2.54Moderate3,260
16Jun 27, 201320.43+2.43Moderate3,650
17Apr 5, 199919.78+1.78Minor3,210
18Jun 16, 200519.67+1.67Minor—
19Jun 19, 200718.96+0.96Minor—
20Apr 18, 200417.72−0.28Action3,150
21Apr 29, 201416.60−1.40Action2,350
22May 30, 201515.81−2.19Below flood stage2,530
23May 17, 199815.09−2.91Below flood stage—
24Apr 30, 201714.39−3.61Below flood stage2,160
25May 25, 202414.29−3.71Below flood stage1,940
26Apr 25, 201814.05−3.95Below flood stage1,970
27Aug 11, 202513.32−4.68Below flood stage1,640
28Jun 13, 200813.02−4.98Below flood stage1,240
29Apr 7, 202612.91−5.09Below flood stage—
30Mar 19, 201211.37−6.63Below flood stage514
31Mar 9, 201611.17−6.83Below flood stage—
32Jun 1, 201611.06−6.94Below flood stage826
33Jun 9, 200210.36−7.64Below flood stage284
34Oct 19, 202110.31−7.69Below flood stage484
35May 27, 20039.96−8.04Below 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 18, 1996: 28.77 ft here, major flooding

  • KindredND · Apr 15, 1996 · 21.53 ft · Major
  • LisbonND · Apr 13, 1996 · 19.20 ft · Major
  • Valley CityND · Apr 21, 1996 · 18.78 ft · Major
  • HarwoodND · Apr 16, 1996 · 90.05 ft · Moderate

March 29, 1995: 27.97 ft here, major flooding

  • HarwoodND · Mar 30, 1995 · 90.04 ft · Moderate
  • Valley CityND · Mar 29, 1995 · 16.57 ft · Moderate

March 27, 2009: 22.88 ft here, major flooding

  • HarwoodND · Mar 29, 2009 · 91.72 ft · Major
  • KindredND · Mar 31, 2009 · 21.55 ft · Major

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
LisbonND15.022.86 ft, Apr 16, 20097
KindredND16.022.33 ft, Apr 8, 199712
West Fargo Diversion this gaugeND18.028.77 ft, Apr 18, 199613
HarwoodND84.092.02 ft, Apr 16, 19977

Other gauges in Cass County

Flood gauges in Cass County
Mapleton (South of I-94)18.023.43 ft, Apr 1, 20065
Fargo18.040.84 ft, Mar 28, 200917
Harwood84.092.02 ft, Apr 16, 19977
Kindred16.022.33 ft, Apr 8, 199712

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WFON8, 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.