James River near Redfield water level

Name: James River near Redfield 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, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.35ft Up 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM CDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 213 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at James River near Redfield reads 4.35 ft, a normal level.

It is 15.65 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 9.17 ft (−4.82 ft).

The water is rising: up 0.78 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 15.65 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.06 ft and 4.35 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Same day last year: 9.17 ft−4.82 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.06 ft – 4.35 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.06 ft – 9.05 ft
Highest on record: 31.10 ftApril 6, 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 20.00 ft, still 15.65 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: The bridge on 182nd St is overtopped.
31.00 ft: The bridge on County Road 15 one mile northwest of the gauge is overtopped. The lowest portions of 396th Street north of 182nd Street may also begin to flood.
29.00 ft: Impacts begin at some structures at the colonies along the river.
28.00 ft: At least a couple of homes along this stretch of the river are flooded or in danger of flooding.
27.00 ft: SD Highway 28 at the Spink/Beadle county line floods.
26.00 ft: Water approaches Highway 212 and may begin to flood the lowest portions just west of the bridge. The water reaches the bottom of the bridge on County Road 15 one mile northwest of the gauge. 182nd St east of the bridge also begins to flood.
25.00 ft: 390th Ave north of the bridge is flooded and the bridge itself begins to be overtopped.
24.00 ft: Water goes over the top of the bridge at the gauging location on 388th Ave as well as on 395th Ave. A few outbuildings a couple miles downstream of the gauge may also begin to flood.
23.00 ft: The water reaches the bottom of the bridge on 390th Ave
22.00 ft: Significant amounts of agricultural and wooded areas begins
21.00 ft: 179th Street east of the bridge and 396th Ave between 177th and 176th floods. Fishers Ln near Fisher Grove State Park may also begin to flood. The water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gauging location on 388th Ave.
20.00 ft: Flooding of low-lying agricultural and pasture land begins
4.35 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.10 ft	April 6, 1997
2	29.40 ft	March 21, 2010
3	28.09 ft	April 27, 2011
4	26.94 ft	April 22, 2019
5	26.26 ft	May 15, 1995
6	25.79 ft	April 30, 2009
7	24.93 ft	April 13, 1969
8	22.33 ft	April 21, 2023
9	22.12 ft	April 11, 1952
10	21.83 ft	March 13, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 69° 41° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 36° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 71° 47° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 72° 52° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 77° 53° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 72° 60° 0.11 in, 21% Wind 21 mph

24 Sat 69° 43° 0.02 in, 36% Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River at JamestownRiver gauge, James River	4.20 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	137 mi
James River at LamoureRiver gauge, James River	8.02 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	100 mi
James River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, James River	88.18 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	72 mi
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River	9.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	49 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River	8.48 ft	Below flood stage	+0.26 ft	23 mi
James River at AshtonRiver gauge, James River	4.84 ft	Below flood stage	+0.55 ft	6.1 mi
James River at HuronRiver gauge, James River	9.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	40 mi
James River near ForestburgRiver gauge, James River	4.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	68 mi
James River near MitchellRiver gauge, James River	9.93 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	91 mi
James River near ScotlandRiver gauge, James River	4.13 ft	Very low	+0.04 ft	126 mi
James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River	3.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	143 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Moccasin Creek near AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	13.29 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	32 mi
Moccasin Creek at AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

How does the James River near Redfield compare with last year?

It is 4.82 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.17 ft.

What is flood stage for the James River near Redfield?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.65 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 James River near Redfield today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM CDT, the water level was 4.35 ft. Up 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River near Redfield rising or falling?

Up 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 1.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of James River near Redfield normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at James River near Redfield?

The highest level on record is 31.10 ft on April 6, 1997.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06475000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.91056, -98.47167 (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	4.35 ft	2026-10-20 13:45	Provisional
Flow	213 cfs	2026-10-20 13:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River near Redfield (usgs:06475000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/james-river-near-redfield

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