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James River near Mitchell

Highest listed crest 25.33 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft26 crests since 2001

The James River near Mitchell crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2001 to 2025. The highest, 25.33 ft on April 11, 2001, was major flooding, 8.33 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the James River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.33 ft
April 11, 2001; 24,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
5
21st of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
June 23, 2024
23.73 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Hanson County
Near Mitchell (7.8 mi)

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 Mitchell
Action stage16.03Aug 30, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.08Apr 28, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.53Jun 23, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.05Sep 13, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 2001 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the James River near Mitchell, 2001 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Apr 11, 2001: 25.33 ft, major flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2002: 13.20 ft, below flood stage; 691 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2003: 13.19 ft, below flood stage; 877 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2004: 16.02 ft, action stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2005: 17.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2006: 15.98 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2007: 24.38 ft, major flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2008: 17.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2009: 21.89 ft, moderate flooding; 9,200 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2010: 25.03 ft, major floodingMar 25, 2011: 25.20 ft, major flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2012: 19.35 ft, minor flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2013: 17.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2014: 14.68 ft, below flood stage; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2015: 15.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 16.25 ft, action stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2017: 14.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2018: 19.60 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 2019: 23.52 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 2019: 25.05 ft, major flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2020: 21.30 ft, minor flooding; 9,640 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2021: 12.85 ft, below flood stage; 752 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2022: 19.09 ft, minor flooding; 4,980 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2023: 21.03 ft, minor flooding; 7,950 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2024: 23.73 ft, moderate flooding; 19,900 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2025: 16.49 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.33 ft, Apr 11, 2001 20052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, James River near Mitchell 2000s: 5 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 4 2000s2010s2020s
  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. 9 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 12.98 ft on Mar 23, 1966; 11.72 ft on Jun 24, 1967; 5.28 ft on May 11, 1968; 18.32 ft on May 11, 1969; 9.33 ft on Apr 25, 1970; 12.80 ft on Mar 18, 1971; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, James River near Mitchell
1Apr 11, 200125.33+8.33Major24,700
2Mar 25, 201125.20+8.20Major28,400
3Sep 13, 201925.05+8.05Major26,100
4Jun 16, 201025.03+8.03Major—
5May 10, 200724.38+7.38Major19,600
6Jun 23, 202423.73+6.73Moderate19,900
7Mar 25, 201923.52+6.52Moderate—
8May 6, 200921.89+4.89Moderate9,200
9Mar 24, 202021.30+4.30Minor9,640
10Apr 28, 202321.03+4.03Minor7,950
11Apr 26, 201819.60+2.60Minor—
12May 8, 201219.35+2.35Minor4,910
13Jun 13, 202219.09+2.09Minor4,980
14Jun 8, 200817.44+0.44Minor2,280
15Jun 13, 200517.09+0.09Minor2,170
16Jul 2, 201317.09+0.09Minor2,790
17Aug 30, 202516.49−0.51Action2,550
18May 2, 201616.25−0.75Action2,440
19Jun 14, 200416.02−0.98Action1,840
20Apr 16, 200615.98−1.02Below flood stage2,160
21Jul 6, 201515.45−1.55Below flood stage2,070
22Jun 19, 201414.68−2.32Below flood stage1,760
23Feb 28, 201714.44−2.56Below flood stage1,380
24May 23, 200213.20−3.80Below flood stage691
25Jul 6, 200313.19−3.81Below flood stage877
26Mar 24, 202112.85−4.15Below flood stage752

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 11, 2001: 25.33 ft here, major flooding

  • YanktonSD · Apr 14, 2001 · 21.95 ft · Major
  • ScotlandSD · Apr 13, 2001 · 19.88 ft · Major
  • ForestburgSD · Apr 10, 2001 · 18.84 ft · Major
  • HuronSD · Apr 10, 2001 · 18.14 ft · Moderate
  • RedfieldSD · Apr 12, 2001 · 21.79 ft · Minor

March 25, 2011: 25.20 ft here, major flooding

  • YanktonSD · Mar 28, 2011 · 22.24 ft · Major
  • ForestburgSD · Mar 25, 2011 · 20.27 ft · Major
  • HuronSD · Mar 26, 2011 · 20.07 ft · Major
  • ScotlandSD · Mar 27, 2011 · 19.52 ft · Major

September 13, 2019: 25.05 ft here, major flooding

  • YanktonSD · Sep 14, 2019 · 27.84 ft · Major · its highest
  • ScotlandSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 22.22 ft · Major · its highest

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
AshtonSD13.026.64 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
Mitchell this gaugeSD17.025.33 ft, Apr 11, 20015
ScotlandSD13.022.22 ft, Sep 13, 201916
YanktonSD12.027.84 ft, Sep 14, 20199

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JRMS2, 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.