Rivers in Arkansas
Ouachita River at Camden
Below flood stage
6.63ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 29, 1:30 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 26.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 7.30 ftWed, Sep 30, 1:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 46.00 ft1882
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 40.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 36.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 26.00 ft |
| Action | 25.50 ft |
- 46.00 ftFlood of record, high water marks from flood of May 1882 were approximately at a stage of 46 feet.
- 45.00 ftVery serious flooding at this level, many structures and roads flooding. A crest of 44.8 feet occurred at Camden in April 1945.
- 42.50 ftResidential flooding is occurring in portions of Ouachita and Calhoun counties, with numerous road closures. The river crested near this stage in April 2025.
- 40.00 ftMajor flooding begins at this level. Widespread residential flooding is possible in the Camden vicinity and downstream. Much of the low lying areas along the river in Ouachita and Calhoun counties will be flooded. Access to many homes will be by boat.
- 38.00 ftMany homes along the river and Oxbow Lakes are accessable by boat only. Portions of Harmony Grove and the lakeside community are flooding.
- 36.00 ftModerate flooding begins at this level. Access roads to commercial, industrial, and residential development are flooding. Access to locations along the river downstream of Camden, by boat only.
- 34.00 ftOverbank flooding closes many roads. Harmony Grove community has flood problems at this stage. Many low lying roads are flooding with access to some residential areas by boat only.
- 30.00 ftState Highway 7 north of Camden floods, with detours nearby. Portions of Sandy Beach Park will flood. Some county roads north and east of Camden begin to flood.
- 28.00 ftSandy Beach Park and portions of the Riverwalk area off of Washington Street are inundated. State Highway 7 off 79B becomes inundated.
- 26.00 ftLow lying pastures and timber land along the river begins to flood. Sandy Beach Park at Camden starts to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, October to December
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 16% |
| Moderate flooding | 6% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued October 28, 2025.
Crest history
66 crests on NOAA’s list since 1882.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 12, 1882 | 46.00 ft |
| 2 | April 3, 1945 | 44.82 ft |
| 3 | May 5, 1958 | 43.87 ft |
| 4 | May 17, 1968 | 43.08 ft |
| 5 | December 29, 1987 | 42.50 ft |
| 6 | April 9, 2025 | 42.29 ft |
| 7 | February 26, 2018 | 41.29 ft |
| 8 | December 28, 2009 | 41.16 ft |
| 9 | June 12, 1974 | 39.59 ft |
| 10 | March 12, 1990 | 39.40 ft |
| 11 | February 3, 1969 | 39.15 ft |
| 12 | May 10, 2009 | 39.12 ft |
| 13 | December 7, 1993 | 38.69 ft |
| 14 | April 23, 1973 | 38.50 ft |
| 15 | December 7, 1982 | 38.10 ft |
| 16 | February 21, 2001 | 37.53 ft |
| 17 | December 21, 2001 | 37.44 ft |
| 18 | April 2, 1989 | 37.40 ft |
| 19 | January 28, 2024 | 37.36 ft |
| 20 | September 8, 2008 | 37.28 ft |
| 21 | October 17, 2009 | 36.87 ft |
| 22 | October 17, 2009 | 36.87 ft |
| 23 | January 20, 2007 | 36.45 ft |
| 24 | April 13, 2008 | 36.26 ft |
| 25 | May 12, 2019 | 36.24 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 9, 2025: 42.29 ft
- January 1, 2025: 28.36 ft
- May 28, 2024: 30.10 ft
- April 14, 2024: 31.03 ft
- February 15, 2024: 28.38 ft
- January 28, 2024: 37.36 ft
- May 16, 2023: 33.95 ft
- April 8, 2023: 29.02 ft
- March 15, 2023: 33.13 ft
- February 14, 2023: 32.41 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.