Red River of the North at Wahpeton

1. 22.50 ftTop of the permanent dike.
2. 18.00 ftClose dike openings at Minnesota St (MN) and Dakota St (ND). Close dike openings at railroad bridge (requires removal of railroad tracks).
3. 17.50 ftRECORD FLOOD. Post-Diversion Flood of Record (March 24, 2009). Post-1900 Flood Flow of Record (10.4 kcfs on March 24, 2009).
4. 16.50 ftCity mobilizes as patrolling of levees and storm sewer outlets begins.
5. 16.00 ftWells Park floods. Flooding of a portion of the sanitary sewer system begins.
6. 15.00 ftMAJOR FLOOD. Wahpeton storm sewer outlets and Main Sreet closed.
7. 13.50 ftNorth Main Street and bridge closed (Breckenridge).
8. 13.00 ftMODERATE FLOOD. Start to put up flood wall (Breckenridge) if river is forecast to go above 15 feet.
9. 12.00 ftStorm sewer valves are closed and interior pumping begins (Breckenridge).
10. 11.60 ftOtter Tail River water starts to flow into the Breckenridge Diversion. Water on Main Street (Breckenridge).
11. 11.00 ftMINOR FLOOD.
12. 9.50 ftACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
13. 8.00 ftOtter Tail River starts to overflow downstream of Highway 75 bridge. This breakout flow will enter the Red River 600 feet downstream of the gage. As stage rises, water fans out and floods the entire east side of bottomlands.
14. 7.00 ftClose storm sewer outfalls.

Chance of flooding, September to November

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Most recent crests

• March 21, 2026: 8.61 ft
• May 22, 2025: 10.24 ft
• June 5, 2024: 11.93 ft
• April 19, 2023: 12.54 ft
• June 1, 2022: 13.18 ft
• March 10, 2021: 8.48 ft
• April 8, 2020: 10.21 ft
• October 23, 2019: 10.40 ft
• April 1, 2019: 14.66 ft
• April 20, 2018: 8.17 ft

• UpstreamBois de Sioux River at Doran
• DownstreamRed River of the North at Enloe
• Otter Tail River at Breckenridge
• Otter Tail River Diversion at Breckenridge Diversion
• Antelope Creek (ND) at Dwight
• Rabbit River at Campbell (CR4)
• Wild Rice River (ND) at Abercrombie
• Otter Tail River at Orwell Dam downstream of Fergus Falls

Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. 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. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months.

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.