Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

James River near Ashton

Highest listed crest 26.64 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft70 crests since 1948

The James River near Ashton crested at major flood stage 16 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2025. The highest, 26.64 ft on April 6, 1997, was major flooding, 13.64 feet above flood stage. 10 other gauges on the James River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.64 ft
April 6, 1997; 20,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
16
2nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
April 21, 2023
19.85 ft, major flooding
Location
Spink County
South Dakota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, James River near Ashton
Action stage11.08Sep 30, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.02Jul 16, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.05Jun 11, 1999Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.016Apr 21, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1948 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the James River near Ashton, 1948 to 2025 0102030ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Mar 25, 1948: 13.78 ft, minor flooding; 1,110 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1950: 19.14 ft, major flooding; 5,170 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1952: 19.59 ft, major flooding; 4,860 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1953: 10.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1958: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 373 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1960: 12.04 ft, action stage; 520 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1961: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 16 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1962: 10.08 ft, below flood stage; 805 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1963: 6.51 ft, below flood stage; 320 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1964: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 663 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1965: 10.19 ft, below flood stage; 900 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1966: 15.16 ft, moderate flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1967: 9.24 ft, below flood stage; 722 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1968: 5.99 ft, below flood stage; 259 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1969: 20.63 ft, major flooding; 5,680 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 444 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1971: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 195 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1972: 9.95 ft, below flood stage; 800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 5.22 ft, below flood stage; 130 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1974: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 132 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1975: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1976: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 393 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1977: 5.21 ft, below flood stage; 98 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1978: 14.06 ft, moderate flooding; 1,680 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1979: 14.86 ft, moderate flooding; 2,060 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1979: 6.51 ft, below flood stageDec 1, 1980: 4.93 ft, below flood stage; 295 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1982: 11.03 ft, action stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1983: 10.02 ft, below flood stage; 828 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1984: 11.47 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1985: 10.33 ft, below flood stage; 750 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1986: 16.74 ft, major flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1987: 12.52 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1987: 5.78 ft, below flood stage; 320 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1989: 12.85 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1990: 6.09 ft, below flood stage; 259 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1991: 8.99 ft, below flood stage; 300 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1992: 7.22 ft, below flood stage; 360 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1993: 12.92 ft, action stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1994: 16.23 ft, major flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1995: 21.21 ft, major flooding; 4,500 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1996: 15.26 ft, moderate flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1997: 26.64 ft, major flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1998: 12.79 ft, action stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1999: 15.57 ft, moderate flooding; 2,290 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2000: 9.43 ft, below flood stage; 794 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2001: 18.76 ft, major flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2002: 6.35 ft, below flood stage; 324 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2003: 8.53 ft, below flood stage; 680 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2004: 9.13 ft, below flood stage; 832 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2005: 13.84 ft, minor flooding; 2,010 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2006: 9.38 ft, below flood stage; 903 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2007: 17.39 ft, major flooding; 3,640 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 336 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2009: 22.96 ft, major flooding; 8,830 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2010: 25.25 ft, major flooding; 8,510 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 24.40 ft, major flooding; 9,520 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2012: 9.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2013: 10.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2014: 10.08 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2015: 10.34 ft, below flood stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2016: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 494 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2017: 9.79 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2018: 9.24 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2019: 23.20 ft, major flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2020: 18.36 ft, major flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2021: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 322 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2022: 17.51 ft, major flooding; 3,980 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2023: 19.85 ft, major flooding; 3,770 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2025: 11.23 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.64 ft, Apr 6, 1997 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, James River near Ashton 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, James River near Ashton
1Apr 6, 199726.64+13.64Major20,700
2Mar 22, 201025.25+12.25Major8,510
3Apr 28, 201124.40+11.40Major9,520
4Apr 23, 201923.20+10.20Major6,490
5Apr 30, 200922.96+9.96Major8,830
6May 22, 199521.21+8.21Major4,500
7Apr 24, 196920.63+7.63Major5,680
8Apr 21, 202319.85+6.85Major3,770
9Apr 23, 195219.59+6.59Major4,860
10May 19, 195019.14+6.14Major5,170
11Apr 29, 200118.76+5.76Major3,750
12Apr 20, 202018.36+5.36Major4,910
13Jun 9, 202217.51+4.51Major3,980
14May 14, 200717.39+4.39Major3,640
15May 10, 198616.74+3.74Major1,930
16Apr 2, 199416.23+3.23Major2,410
17Jun 11, 199915.57+2.57Moderate2,290
18May 19, 199615.26+2.26Moderate2,180
19Apr 14, 196615.16+2.16Moderate2,170
20May 18, 197914.86+1.86Moderate2,060
21Apr 18, 197814.06+1.06Moderate1,680
22Jul 16, 200513.84+0.84Minor2,010
23Mar 25, 194813.78+0.78Minor1,110
24Sep 10, 199312.92−0.08Action1,390
25Apr 20, 198912.85−0.15Action1,330
26May 18, 199812.79−0.21Action1,320
27Apr 25, 198712.52−0.48Action1,370
28Apr 10, 196012.04−0.96Action520
29May 6, 198411.47−1.53Action1,170
30Sep 30, 202511.23−1.77Action1,720
31May 5, 198211.03−1.97Action1,000
32Aug 4, 195310.64−2.36Below flood stage1,000
33Jul 2, 201510.34−2.66Below flood stage1,310
34Mar 22, 198510.33−2.67Below flood stage750
35Jul 31, 201310.23−2.77Below flood stage1,270
36May 28, 196510.19−2.81Below flood stage900
37Aug 30, 196210.08−2.92Below flood stage805
38Jul 10, 201410.08−2.92Below flood stage1,130
39Apr 24, 198310.02−2.98Below flood stage828
40Apr 19, 19729.95−3.05Below flood stage800
41Mar 16, 20129.89−3.11Below flood stage1,090
42Mar 28, 20179.79−3.21Below flood stage1,120
43Apr 10, 20009.43−3.57Below flood stage794
44Apr 16, 20069.38−3.62Below flood stage903
45May 11, 19679.24−3.76Below flood stage722
46May 23, 20189.24−3.76Below flood stage1,010
47Jul 10, 20049.13−3.87Below flood stage832
48Aug 9, 19759.05−3.95Below flood stage1,130
49Jun 29, 19918.99−4.01Below flood stage300
50Jul 28, 19648.60−4.40Below flood stage663

The worst floods along the James River

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

April 6, 1997: 26.64 ft here, major flooding

  • HeclaND · Apr 1, 1997 · 98.04 ft · Major · its highest
  • RedfieldSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 31.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • YanktonSD · Apr 9, 1997 · 22.94 ft · Major
  • HuronSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 21.28 ft · Major · its highest
  • ForestburgSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 20.61 ft · Major · its highest
  • ScotlandSD · Apr 8, 1997 · 19.81 ft · Major
  • StratfordSD · Apr 6, 1997 · 19.48 ft · Major
  • KensalND · Apr 7, 1997 · 14.00 ft · Major
  • LaMoureND · Apr 1, 1997 · 16.09 ft · Moderate
  • Grace CityND · Apr 3, 1997 · 14.77 ft · Moderate

March 22, 2010: 25.25 ft here, major flooding

  • RedfieldSD · Mar 21, 2010 · 29.40 ft · Major
  • YanktonSD · Mar 20, 2010 · 22.75 ft · Major
  • StratfordSD · Mar 29, 2010 · 20.08 ft · Major
  • ScotlandSD · Mar 19, 2010 · 19.79 ft · Major
  • HuronSD · Mar 25, 2010 · 19.72 ft · Major
  • ForestburgSD · Mar 25, 2010 · 19.14 ft · Major
  • HeclaND · Mar 27, 2010 · 95.51 ft · Moderate
  • LaMoureND · Mar 21, 2010 · 15.80 ft · Minor

April 28, 2011: 24.40 ft here, major flooding

  • RedfieldSD · Apr 27, 2011 · 28.09 ft · Major

Gauges on the James River

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

Flood gauges on the James River
Grace CityND12.017.74 ft, Apr 17, 20093
KensalND9.016.69 ft, Apr 28, 20095
JamestownND12.016.94 ft, Apr 11, 19691
LaMoureND14.017.56 ft, Apr 15, 20090
HeclaND93.098.04 ft, Apr 1, 19972
ColumbiaSD13.019.81 ft, Jul 16, 20118
StratfordSD14.021.57 ft, Jul 19, 20116
Ashton this gaugeSD13.026.64 ft, Apr 6, 199716
RedfieldSD20.031.10 ft, Apr 6, 19976
HuronSD11.521.28 ft, Apr 6, 19973
ForestburgSD12.020.61 ft, Apr 6, 19977
MitchellSD17.025.33 ft, Apr 11, 20015
ScotlandSD13.022.22 ft, Sep 13, 201916
YanktonSD12.027.84 ft, Sep 14, 20199

Other gauges in Spink County

Flood gauges in Spink County
Redfield20.031.10 ft, Apr 6, 19976
Stratford14.021.57 ft, Jul 19, 20116
Ashton11.520.74 ft, Apr 1, 19974
Redfield7.018.32 ft, Mar 29, 19975

Spink County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ATNS2, 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.