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James River at Jamestown water level

River gauge, James River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.27ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
205 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.94 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

History
510ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18Minor flood stage510ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Minor flood stage
510ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage510ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at James River at Jamestown reads 4.27 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 1.06 ft above the median of 3.21 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 7.73 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.36 ft (+0.91 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.49 ft and 4.53 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.21 ft1.06 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.63 ft – 9.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year
3.36 ft+0.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.49 ft – 4.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.49 ft – 5.68 ft
Highest on record
16.94 ftApril 11, 1969

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.00 ft, still 7.73 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft
Major damage to homes and businesses at this level.
15.00 ft
Highways 10, 52 and 281 become flooded.
12.00 ft
River is out of its banks at gaging station.
4.27 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
116.94 ftApril 11, 1969
215.73 ftApril 17, 1950
315.18 ftMarch 19, 1966
414.20 ftMarch 14, 1929
514.13 ftMay 4, 2009
613.58 ftJuly 16, 1993
713.24 ftOctober 28, 2019
813.01 ftSeptember 20, 2011
912.99 ftOctober 11, 2011
1012.40 ftJuly 5, 1928

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 41° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 60° 34° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 69° 44° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 65° 50° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 72° 47° – Wind 14 mph
23 Fri 63° 58° 0.12 in, 26% Wind 13 mph
24 Sat 61° 38° 0.28 in, 36% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
James River near Grace CityRiver gauge, James River 4.43 ft Normal −0.06 ft 47 mi
James River above Arrowwood Lake near KensalRiver gauge, James River 2.04 ft Normal +0.09 ft 36 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River 8.09 ft Normal +0.05 ft 41 mi
James River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, James River 88.14 ft Normal −0.18 ft 70 mi
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River 9.42 ft Below flood stage +0.18 ft 91 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River 7.78 ft Below flood stage +1.02 ft 115 mi
James River at AshtonRiver gauge, James River 3.84 ft Below flood stage +0.13 ft 131 mi
James River near RedfieldRiver gauge, James River 3.31 ft Below flood stage +0.09 ft 137 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Jamestown Dam and ReservoirReservoir 1,430.04 ft Normal 3.1 mi
Pipestem Creek near BuchananRiver gauge, Pipestem Creek 9.1 cfs Normal −3.7 cfs 17 mi
James River on State Highway 46 near AdrianRiver gauge, James River on State Highway 46 19.67 ft No reference yet −0.07 ft 19 mi
Pipestem Creek near PingreeRiver gauge, Pipestem Creek 5.70 ft Very high +0.01 ft 23 mi
Sheyenne River below Baldhill DamRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 24.44 ft Normal −0.01 ft 30 mi
Sheyenne River at Valley CityRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 3.22 ft Below flood stage ±0 32 mi
Baldhill Creek near DazeyRiver gauge, Baldhill Creek 6.85 ft Very high −0.01 ft 35 mi
Sheyenne River near CooperstownRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 10.09 ft Low +0.02 ft 49 mi

Questions and answers

How does the James River at Jamestown compare with last year?

It is 0.91 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.36 ft.

What is flood stage for the James River at Jamestown?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.73 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the James River at Jamestown in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.21 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.63 ft and 9.01 ft, based on 25 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of James River at Jamestown today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:15 PM CDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River at Jamestown rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.52 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of James River at Jamestown normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06470000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.88972, -98.68167 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.27 ft 2026-10-18 21:15 Provisional
Flow 205 cfs 2026-10-18 21:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Jamestown (usgs:06470000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/james-river-at-jamestown

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.