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James River near Stratford

Highest listed crest 21.57 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft50 crests since 1951

The James River near Stratford crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2025. The highest, 21.57 ft on July 19, 2011, was major flooding, 7.57 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the James River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.57 ft
July 19, 2011; 9,460 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.5 ft
Crests at major
6
15th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
September 24, 2025
15.38 ft, minor 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 Stratford
Action stage13.03Mar 14, 2012The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.021Sep 24, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.05May 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.56Apr 19, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1951 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the James River near Stratford, 1951 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 18.5 ft May 9, 1951: 15.47 ft, minor flooding; 870 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1952: 18.13 ft, moderate flooding; 4,970 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1953: 15.16 ft, minor flooding; 718 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1954: 11.33 ft, below flood stage; 321 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1955: 9.63 ft, below flood stage; 185 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1956: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 177 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1957: 9.06 ft, below flood stage; 153 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1958: 12.25 ft, below flood stage; 277 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1960: 13.76 ft, action stage; 362 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1961: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 14 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1962: 15.77 ft, minor flooding; 861 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1963: 11.65 ft, below flood stage; 314 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1964: 14.62 ft, minor flooding; 650 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1965: 15.33 ft, minor flooding; 816 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1966: 16.75 ft, minor flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1967: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 656 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1968: 10.18 ft, below flood stage; 245 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1969: 18.10 ft, moderate flooding; 4,880 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 12.47 ft, below flood stage; 389 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1971: 9.81 ft, below flood stage; 198 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1972: 15.44 ft, minor flooding; 982 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1975: 16.50 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1982: 16.00 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1984: 15.50 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 1986: 16.70 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1987: 16.20 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1989: 15.90 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1995: 19.86 ft, major floodingJul 2, 1996: 16.40 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1997: 19.48 ft, major flooding; 8,400 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2001: 18.46 ft, moderate flooding; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2002: 10.49 ft, below flood stage; 302 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2003: 12.78 ft, below flood stage; 649 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2004: 13.74 ft, action stage; 842 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2005: 16.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2006: 12.79 ft, below flood stage; 697 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2008: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 326 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2009: 19.98 ft, major flooding; 9,910 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2010: 20.08 ft, major flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2011: 21.57 ft, major flooding; 9,460 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2012: 13.91 ft, action stage; 955 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 2013: 14.96 ft, minor flooding; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2014: 14.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 2015: 15.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2016: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 433 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2017: 14.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2019: 18.68 ft, major flooding; 9,460 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2020: 18.43 ft, moderate flooding; 4,410 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2023: 17.80 ft, moderate flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2025: 15.38 ft, minor flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.57 ft, Jul 19, 2011 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, James River near Stratford 1950s: 3 1960s: 6 1970s: 2 1980s: 5 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 7 7 2020s: 3 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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 17.80 ft on May 14, 1950.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, James River near Stratford
1Jul 19, 201121.57+7.57Major9,460
2Mar 29, 201020.08+6.08Major6,850
3Apr 26, 200919.98+5.98Major9,910
4May 18, 199519.86+5.86Major—
5Apr 6, 199719.48+5.48Major8,400
6Apr 19, 201918.68+4.68Major9,460
7Apr 23, 200118.46+4.46Moderate3,160
8Apr 18, 202018.43+4.43Moderate4,410
9Apr 19, 195218.13+4.13Moderate4,970
10Apr 24, 196918.10+4.10Moderate4,880
11May 19, 202317.80+3.80Moderate3,390
12Jul 12, 200516.95+2.95Minor1,560
13Apr 10, 196616.75+2.75Minor2,400
14May 13, 198616.70+2.70Minor—
15Jul 28, 197516.50+2.50Minor—
16Jul 2, 199616.40+2.40Minor—
17Apr 14, 198716.20+2.20Minor—
18Apr 30, 198216.00+2.00Minor—
19Apr 13, 198915.90+1.90Minor—
20Aug 12, 196215.77+1.77Minor861
21Apr 20, 198415.50+1.50Minor—
22May 9, 195115.47+1.47Minor870
23Apr 12, 197215.44+1.44Minor982
24Sep 24, 202515.38+1.38Minor1,660
25May 23, 196515.33+1.33Minor816
26Jul 13, 195315.16+1.16Minor718
27Jul 9, 201515.02+1.02Minor1,340
28Jul 25, 201314.96+0.96Minor1,270
29May 16, 196714.90+0.90Minor656
30Jul 23, 196414.62+0.62Minor650
31Jul 11, 201414.14+0.14Minor1,060
32Mar 29, 201714.08+0.08Minor1,120
33Mar 14, 201213.91−0.09Action955
34May 12, 196013.76−0.24Action362
35Jul 6, 200413.74−0.26Action842
36May 7, 200612.79−1.21Below flood stage697
37Apr 4, 200312.78−1.22Below flood stage649
38Apr 28, 197012.47−1.53Below flood stage389
39Mar 26, 195812.25−1.75Below flood stage277
40Jun 28, 196311.65−2.35Below flood stage314
41Jun 28, 195411.33−2.67Below flood stage321
42May 14, 200210.49−3.51Below flood stage302
43May 27, 196810.18−3.82Below flood stage245
44Aug 22, 201610.10−3.90Below flood stage433
45Jul 16, 19719.81−4.19Below flood stage198
46Jul 28, 19559.63−4.37Below flood stage185
47Jul 6, 19569.55−4.45Below flood stage177
48Apr 11, 20089.55−4.45Below flood stage326
49Jun 18, 19579.06−4.94Below flood stage153
50Apr 7, 19616.01−7.99Below flood stage14

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.

July 19, 2011: 21.57 ft here, major flooding

  • ColumbiaSD · Jul 16, 2011 · 19.81 ft · Major · its highest

March 29, 2010: 20.08 ft here, major flooding

  • AshtonSD · Mar 22, 2010 · 25.25 ft · Major
  • HuronSD · Mar 25, 2010 · 19.72 ft · Major
  • ForestburgSD · Mar 25, 2010 · 19.14 ft · Major
  • ColumbiaSD · Apr 2, 2010 · 19.05 ft · Major
  • HeclaND · Mar 27, 2010 · 95.51 ft · Moderate
  • KensalND · Apr 4, 2010 · 10.23 ft · Minor

April 26, 2009: 19.98 ft here, major flooding

  • RedfieldSD · Apr 30, 2009 · 25.79 ft · Major
  • AshtonSD · Apr 30, 2009 · 22.96 ft · Major
  • ColumbiaSD · Apr 24, 2009 · 19.73 ft · Major
  • KensalND · Apr 28, 2009 · 16.69 ft · Major · its highest
  • HuronSD · May 3, 2009 · 16.64 ft · Moderate

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
Stratford this gaugeSD14.021.57 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
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
Ashton13.026.64 ft, Apr 6, 199716
Redfield20.031.10 ft, Apr 6, 19976
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 SFDS2, 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.