Arkansas River at Dardanelle water level

Name: Arkansas River at Dardanelle water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Arkansas River, Arkansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.41ft Down 1.44 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:26 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Arkansas River at Dardanelle is at 4.41 ft, in the normal range.

It is 27.59 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft.

It has dropped 1.44 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.04 ft and 7.96 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 45.91 ftMay 30, 2019
Forecast peak: 5.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Arkansas River at Dardanelle

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 32.00 ft, 27.59 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

44.00 ft: Serious 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 ft: Major 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 ft: Moderate 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 ft: State Highway 155 in Yell County and County Roads inside the levee flooded. About 5000 acres of farmland flooded.
34.00 ft: Approximately 2000 acres of farmland flooded. Galla Creek Wildlife Management area partially flooded and State Highway 105 along the river may be affected.
32.00 ft: Minor 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.
4.41 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 15 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	45.91 ft	May 30, 2019
2	41.60 ft	May 4, 1990
3	40.83 ft	December 29, 2015
4	40.50 ft	April 23, 1973
5	40.02 ft	December 3, 1982
6	38.00 ft	October 10, 1986
7	37.73 ft	May 28, 2015
8	37.00 ft	May 12, 2015
9	36.27 ft	April 11, 2008
10	34.85 ft	March 19, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 74° 42° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 76° 51° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 81° 53° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 83° 54° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 82° 54° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 83° 55° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 80° 56° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River near HaskellRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	146 mi
Arkansas River near MuskogeeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	18.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	127 mi
Arkansas River at GoreRiver gauge, Arkansas River	60.27 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	113 mi
Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar.River gauge, Arkansas River	1,710 cfs	Low	−3,030.0 cfs	73 mi
Arkansas River near MorriltonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	9.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	25 mi
Arkansas River at Murray Dam near Little RockRiver gauge, Arkansas River	8,760 cfs	Normal	+8,286 cfs	54 mi
Arkansas River at Little RockRiver gauge, Arkansas River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	60 mi
Arkansas River at Pine BluffRiver gauge, Arkansas River	31.38 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	92 mi
Arkansas River at PendletonRiver gauge, Arkansas River	26.32 ft	Below flood stage	+0.30 ft	132 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Fork Point Remove Creek near HattievilleRiver gauge, West Fork Point Remove Creek	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	17 mi
Illinois Bayou near ScottsvilleRiver gauge, Illinois Bayou	4.0 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	18 mi
Petit Jean River at DanvilleRiver gauge, Petit Jean River	9.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi
Big Piney Creek at Highway 164 near DoverRiver gauge, Big Piney Creek	0.11 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	19 mi
Fourche LaFave River near AplinRiver gauge, Fourche LaFave River	9.2 cfs	Low	−2.2 cfs	21 mi
Fourche La Fave River near HoustonRiver gauge, Fourche La Fave River	9.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.30 ft	28 mi
Cypress Creek near BirdtownRiver gauge, Cypress Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	29 mi
Alum Fork Saline River near ReformRiver gauge, Alum Fork Saline River	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Dardanelle?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 27.59 ft below it.

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 Arkansas River at Dardanelle today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.41 ft. Down 1.44 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Dardanelle rising or falling?

Down 1.44 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Dardanelle normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Arkansas River at Dardanelle?

The highest level on record is 45.91 ft on May 30, 2019.

Is Arkansas River at Dardanelle expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07258000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.22611, -93.14944 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.41 ft	2026-10-20 18:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/14898?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Arkansas River at Dardanelle water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Dardanelle (usgs:07258000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arkansas/arkansas-river-at-dardanelle

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer