Rivers in North Dakota
Missouri River near Williston
Below flood stage
13.25ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 2:00 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 22.00 ft
- Record crest
- 30.38 ft2011
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 26.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 24.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 22.00 ft |
| Action | 20.00 ft |
- 33.00 ftLevees surrounding Williston are likely to be topped without additional measures taken to temporarily raise the flood protection levels.
- 32.50 ftMissouri River begins to overtop small stretch of levee near Highway 85 bridge and Williston Water Treatment Plant.
- 30.75 ftMissouri River begins to cover Highway 85 south of Williston.
- 30.50 ftAt 30.5 FT...water is near the top of Highway 58 in areas between Fairview and Trenton.
- 30.00 ftWater covers portions of 13th Avenue East and 11th Avenue East along the Little Muddy River.
- 28.00 ftWater backing up into the Little Muddy River begins to cover 54th Street Northwest on the east side of Williston.
- 24.00 ftWater begins to cover oil well location south and east of Williston. Wildlife management areas are flooded. City of Williston does not flood.
- 22.00 ftLow-lying farmland and access roads to oil well sites near Trenton are flooded. City of Williston does not flood.
- 20.00 ftDitches in the vicinity of the river will fill and wildlife management lands along the south banks will begin to flood.
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 23, 2026.
Crest history
68 crests on NOAA’s list since 1912.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 21, 2011 | 30.38 ft |
| 2 | April 1, 1912 | 28.00 ft |
| 3 | July 14, 1975 | 27.15 ft |
| 4 | March 8, 1994 | 26.60 ft |
| 5 | March 26, 1978 | 26.46 ft |
| 6 | June 26, 1997 | 26.10 ft |
| 7 | July 4, 1997 | 25.80 ft |
| 8 | March 3, 1986 | 25.40 ft |
| 9 | March 25, 1997 | 24.02 ft |
| 10 | March 20, 2003 | 23.91 ft |
| 11 | February 24, 1997 | 23.30 ft |
| 12 | March 19, 1996 | 23.19 ft |
| 13 | August 1, 1997 | 23.10 ft |
| 14 | June 19, 1996 | 22.90 ft |
| 15 | July 3, 1996 | 22.80 ft |
| 16 | April 8, 1996 | 22.76 ft |
| 17 | May 29, 1997 | 22.51 ft |
| 18 | December 28, 1997 | 22.50 ft |
| 19 | February 16, 1996 | 22.40 ft |
| 20 | July 26, 1995 | 22.26 ft |
| 21 | June 30, 2008 | 22.24 ft |
| 22 | March 19, 1999 | 22.12 ft |
| 23 | August 1, 1995 | 22.08 ft |
| 24 | March 27, 2004 | 21.79 ft |
| 25 | June 22, 1995 | 21.79 ft |
Most recent crests
- June 16, 2013: 21.51 ft
- April 6, 2013: 21.25 ft
- June 21, 2011: 30.38 ft
- June 26, 2009: 21.16 ft
- June 30, 2008: 22.24 ft
- June 9, 2008: 20.10 ft
- May 26, 2008: 20.22 ft
- June 12, 2007: 20.20 ft
- May 19, 2007: 18.98 ft
- March 23, 2007: 19.82 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River Forecasts typically include ONLY 2 days of future rain from <u>forecast issuance time</u> (lower right of graph). Occasionally 3 days of future rain included. Stage may be affected by ice.
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.