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James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal water level

River gauge, James River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

2.02ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
52.1 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.69 ft Minor floodstage 9.00 ft

History

History
1234ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 211234ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
358ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 21Minor flood stage358ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21Minor flood stage
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal reads 2.02 ft, a normal level for late October.

That puts it 0.39 ft below the median of 2.41 ft for late October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 6.98 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.91 ft (+0.11 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.07 ft and 2.29 ft.

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

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.41 ft0.39 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.21 ft – 3.65 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year
1.91 ft+0.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.07 ft – 2.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.50 ft – 5.91 ft
Highest on record
16.69 ftApril 28, 2009

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 9.00 ft, still 6.98 ft away.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
116.69 ftApril 28, 2009
214.70 ftApril 18, 2009
314.41 ftApril 12, 2011
414.35 ftJanuary 1, 1979
514.00 ftApril 7, 1997
613.00 ftApril 5, 1997
711.48 ftMarch 28, 1987
810.64 ftJuly 29, 1993
910.37 ftOctober 26, 2019
1010.30 ftMarch 30, 1999

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 62° 38° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 69° 36° – Wind 15 mph
23 Fri 73° 57° 0.00 in Wind 18 mph
24 Sat 69° 43° – Wind 24 mph
25 Sun 44° 36° – Wind 13 mph
26 Mon 43° 31° – Wind 8 mph
27 Tue 46° 28° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:03 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 35 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
James River near Grace CityRiver gauge, James River 4.40 ft Normal −0.03 ft 11 mi
James River at JamestownRiver gauge, James River 3.97 ft Normal −0.27 ft 36 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River 8.00 ft Normal −0.03 ft 76 mi
James River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, James River 88.17 ft Normal −0.02 ft 105 mi
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River 9.53 ft Below flood stage +0.11 ft 126 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River 8.68 ft Below flood stage +0.24 ft 150 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Pipestem Creek near PingreeRiver gauge, Pipestem Creek 5.65 ft High +0.04 ft 18 mi
Pipestem Creek near BuchananRiver gauge, Pipestem Creek 6.6 cfs Normal −1.5 cfs 24 mi
Sheyenne River near WarwickRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 2.82 ft Normal −0.03 ft 28 mi
Jamestown Dam and ReservoirReservoir 1,429.91 ft Normal 33 mi
Baldhill Creek near DazeyRiver gauge, Baldhill Creek 6.78 ft Very high −0.02 ft 34 mi
Tolna Coulee near TolnaRiver gauge, Tolna Coulee 15.46 ft Very low −0.02 ft 35 mi
Sheyenne River near CooperstownRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 10.04 ft Low −0.02 ft 36 mi
Sheyenne River below Devils Lake State Outlet near BremenRiver gauge, Sheyenne River 18.11 ft Low −0.03 ft 37 mi

Questions and answers

How does the James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal compare with last year?

It is 0.11 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.91 ft.

What is flood stage for the James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.98 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal in late October?

The median for late October is 2.41 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.21 ft and 3.65 ft, based on 26 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 above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT, the water level was 2.02 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 26 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:06468250 (Agency page)
Coordinates
47.39972, -98.79722 (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 2.02 ft 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional
Flow 52.1 cfs 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal (usgs:06468250). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/james-river-above-arrowwood-lake-near-kensal

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.