Rivers in Arkansas
Ouachita River at Arkadelphia
Below flood stage
5.67ftStage
Observed Sat, Sep 26, 6:00 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 17.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 6.80 ftSun, Sep 27, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 30.30 ft1945
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 27.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 17.00 ft |
| Action | 16.00 ft |
- 28.50 ftEvacuations may be needed. Widespread flooding in Clark County. Numerous county roads flooded. State Highway 7 flooded east of Arkadelphia. Long detours around flooded areas. Ouachita River crested just over 28 feet in January 1969 and over 30 feet in May 1968.
- 27.00 ftFlooding in druid hills and portions of Southern and Southeastern Arkadelphia. Airport possibly closed by high water. State Highway 7 east of Arkadelphia flooded. Railroad underpass flooded. Numerous Clark County roads flooded.
- 25.00 ftArkadelphia Airport may be closed. Flooding in portions of Arkadelphia. State Highway 7 east of Arkadelphia flooded. Railroad underpass flooded. Clark County roads 9, 17, 19, 21, 28, 138, and 304 flooded. Long detours around flooded areas.
- 24.00 ftFlooding near Hemphill Road and Maddox Branch. Fringe of airport begins to flood. Roads impacted by high water include, Clark County roads 9, 17, 19, 21, 28, 138, and 304 and State Highways 7 and 51.
- 22.00 ftRoads are flooding, including, Nix's Ferry, Clark County roads 9 and 28, and State Highway 7 and 51 east of Arkadelphia.
- 21.00 ftState Highway 7 and 51 east of Arkadelphia flooded. Railroad underpass closed.
- 19.00 ftState Highway 7 and 51 railroad underpass flooded. Fields and timber along the river flooded.
- 17.00 ftFarmland along the river begins to flood. Water over State Highway 7 and 51 at railroad underpass.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 16, 2026.
Crest history
80 crests on NOAA’s list since 1914.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 30, 1945 | 30.30 ft |
| 2 | May 14, 1968 | 30.08 ft |
| 3 | May 21, 1927 | 29.20 ft |
| 4 | February 19, 1938 | 28.97 ft |
| 5 | April 17, 1939 | 28.87 ft |
| 6 | May 15, 1923 | 28.30 ft |
| 7 | January 27, 1949 | 28.15 ft |
| 8 | January 31, 1969 | 28.02 ft |
| 9 | April 6, 2025 | 27.95 ft |
| 10 | May 12, 1920 | 27.90 ft |
| 11 | May 3, 1958 | 27.65 ft |
| 12 | May 20, 1990 | 27.23 ft |
| 13 | June 8, 1974 | 27.02 ft |
| 14 | May 6, 1935 | 26.97 ft |
| 15 | April 9, 1942 | 26.75 ft |
| 16 | January 5, 1932 | 26.72 ft |
| 17 | August 22, 1915 | 26.30 ft |
| 18 | July 3, 1951 | 26.20 ft |
| 19 | April 29, 1914 | 26.20 ft |
| 20 | January 22, 1937 | 26.03 ft |
| 21 | May 26, 1966 | 26.00 ft |
| 22 | December 4, 1982 | 25.97 ft |
| 23 | February 13, 1950 | 25.92 ft |
| 24 | May 2, 1944 | 25.90 ft |
| 25 | September 4, 2008 | 25.89 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 6, 2025: 27.95 ft
- January 24, 2024: 23.17 ft
- May 12, 2023: 21.02 ft
- February 9, 2023: 20.01 ft
- June 11, 2022: 18.37 ft
- April 17, 2022: 20.42 ft
- March 23, 2022: 19.22 ft
- May 9, 2019: 20.25 ft
- March 2, 2018: 24.62 ft
- February 24, 2018: 24.49 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.