Rivers in Arkansas
Arkansas River at Dardanelle
Below flood stage
4.98ftStage
Observed Sun, Sep 27, 5:00 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 32.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 5.10 ftSun, Sep 27, 7:00 AM CDT
- Record crest
- 45.91 ft2019
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 40.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 36.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 32.00 ft |
| Action | 32.00 ft |
- 44.00 ftSerious flooding expected, overtopping of Dardanelle Drainage District Levee possible. Flood of record prior to completion of the flood control reservoirs and the navigation system was 44.1 feet in May 1943.
- 41.00 ftMajor flooding expected, levee patrolling begins. December 2015 flood crested at 40.8 feet. May 1990 flood crested at 41.6 feet. Several highways and numerous county roads flooded.
- 36.00 ftModerate flood conditions expected with numerous roads and highways affected, backwater up Petit Jean River floods State Highway 154. Carden Bottoms and Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge flooded.
- 35.00 ftState Highway 155 in Yell County and County Roads inside the levee flooded. About 5000 acres of farmland flooded.
- 34.00 ftApproximately 2000 acres of farmland flooded. Galla Creek Wildlife Management area partially flooded and State Highway 105 along the river may be affected.
- 32.00 ftMinor flooding, commercial and industrial areas along the river in Dardanelle and Russellville may be affected. Lower lying agricultural land within the levee starts to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 25, 2026.
Crest history
27 crests on NOAA’s list since 1927.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 30, 2019 | 45.91 ft |
| 2 | May 25, 1943 | 44.10 ft |
| 3 | May 30, 1957 | 43.40 ft |
| 4 | April 19, 1945 | 43.15 ft |
| 5 | April 19, 1927 | 43.00 ft |
| 6 | May 4, 1990 | 41.60 ft |
| 7 | December 29, 2015 | 40.83 ft |
| 8 | April 23, 1973 | 40.50 ft |
| 9 | December 3, 1982 | 40.02 ft |
| 10 | October 10, 1986 | 38.00 ft |
| 11 | May 28, 2015 | 37.73 ft |
| 12 | May 12, 2015 | 37.00 ft |
| 13 | April 11, 2008 | 36.27 ft |
| 14 | March 19, 2008 | 34.85 ft |
| 15 | April 27, 2011 | 34.52 ft |
| 16 | May 13, 1993 | 33.60 ft |
| 17 | June 16, 1995 | 33.38 ft |
| 18 | January 5, 1993 | 33.30 ft |
| 19 | December 16, 1992 | 33.00 ft |
| 20 | January 6, 1998 | 32.91 ft |
| 21 | November 26, 1996 | 30.23 ft |
| 22 | April 9, 2002 | 29.65 ft |
| 23 | November 6, 1994 | 27.47 ft |
| 24 | June 23, 2000 | 27.42 ft |
| 25 | October 29, 1991 | 26.57 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 30, 2019: 45.91 ft
- December 29, 2015: 40.83 ft
- May 28, 2015: 37.73 ft
- May 12, 2015: 37.00 ft
- April 27, 2011: 34.52 ft
- April 11, 2008: 36.27 ft
- March 19, 2008: 34.85 ft
- April 9, 2002: 29.65 ft
- June 23, 2000: 27.42 ft
- July 6, 1999: 26.04 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Arkansas-Red Basin RFC. 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.