James River at Nd-Sd State Line water level

Name: James River at Nd-Sd State Line 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, James River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

88.19ft Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 231 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at James River at Nd-Sd State Line reads 88.19 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 88.46 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.27 ft below typical. It is 4.81 ft below the flood stage of 93.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 88.07 ft, a difference of +0.12 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 4.81 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 87.49 ft and 88.42 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 88.46 ft0.27 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 87.52 ft – 90.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 88.07 ft+0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 87.49 ft – 88.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 87.33 ft – 90.95 ft
Highest on record: 98.04 ftApril 1, 1997

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 93.00 ft, still 4.81 ft away.

What happens at each level

100.10 ft: Water goes over 104th St. bridge.
98.30 ft: Road goes under water on 100th St. at gage site.
96.90 ft: Water reaches bottom of bridge (SE corner) at 100th St. gage site.
96.40 ft: Low area west of 104th St. bridge under water.
95.90 ft: Water along north edge of 104th St. west of bridge at low spot.
95.10 ft: Circular road at day use area on 104th St. under water.
94.50 ft: Much of intersection at 103rd/403rd streets under water. 103rd St. west of intersection has water. Entire road west of gage on 100th St. under water.
94.00 ft: North edge of road west of gage on 100th St. sees water.
93.00 ft: Mainly agricultural land impacts. Initial areas of water affecting 100th/103rd streets.
88.19 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	98.04 ft	April 1, 1997
2	96.35 ft	April 18, 2009
3	95.71 ft	November 4, 2019
4	95.51 ft	March 27, 2010
5	95.38 ft	April 12, 2011
6	94.33 ft	April 25, 2023
7	93.39 ft	June 28, 2013
8	93.39 ft	August 3, 1993
9	92.93 ft	June 26, 2007
10	92.74 ft	April 26, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 36° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 66° 34° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 69° 39° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 70° 50° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 75° 52° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 75° 62° 0.05 in, 20% Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 68° 44° – Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:55 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River near Grace CityRiver gauge, James River	4.47 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	117 mi
James River above Arrowwood Lake near KensalRiver gauge, James River	2.05 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	105 mi
James River at JamestownRiver gauge, James River	4.24 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	70 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River	8.04 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	30 mi
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River	9.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.13 ft	24 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River	8.26 ft	Below flood stage	+0.54 ft	49 mi
James River at AshtonRiver gauge, James River	4.38 ft	Below flood stage	+0.58 ft	66 mi
James River near RedfieldRiver gauge, James River	3.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.38 ft	72 mi
James River at HuronRiver gauge, James River	9.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	109 mi
James River near ForestburgRiver gauge, James River	4.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	136 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Maple River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Maple River	1.92 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Bear Creek near OakesRiver gauge, Bear Creek	5.32 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	21 mi
Elm River at WestportRiver gauge, Elm River	4.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Elm River near FrederickRiver gauge, Elm River	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Elm River near OrdwayRiver gauge, Elm River	3.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	28 mi
Wild Rice River near RutlandRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	32 mi
Foot Creek near AberdeenRiver gauge, Foot Creek	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Moccasin Creek at AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

Is the James River at Nd-Sd State Line higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.12 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 88.07 ft.

What is flood stage for the James River at Nd-Sd State Line?

The official flood stage is 93.00 ft. The level is currently 4.81 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the James River at Nd-Sd State Line in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 88.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 87.52 ft and 90.35 ft, based on 36 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 Nd-Sd State Line today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT, the water level was 88.19 ft. Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River at Nd-Sd State Line rising or falling?

Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of James River at Nd-Sd State Line normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 36 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:06470878 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.93639, -98.17389 (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	88.19 ft	2026-10-19 17:45	Provisional
Flow	231 cfs	2026-10-07 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Nd-Sd State Line (usgs:06470878). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/james-river-at-nd-sd-state-line

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