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SwedenJames River near Scotland water level
River gauge, James River, South Dakota, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 125 cfs
History
20252026
What this means
The James River near Scotland is running far below normal at 4.14 ft.
The median for mid-October is 5.77 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.63 ft below typical. It is 8.86 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.25 ft, a difference of −3.11 ft.
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 4.09 ft and 4.78 ft.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 5.77 ft1.63 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 4.19 ft – 12.70 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 7.25 ft−3.11 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 4.09 ft – 4.78 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 4.10 ft – 6.83 ft
- Highest on record
- 22.22 ftSeptember 13, 2019
Floating and fishing near James River near Scotland
Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.
Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 8.86 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 27.00 ft
- Portions of the bridge on Maxwell Road begin to flood.
- 25.00 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the Maxwell Colony, and the bridge on Highway 18 near Olivet is overtopped.
- 24.00 ft
- The bridge on 431st Avenue 4 miles southeast of the Maxwell Colony is overtopped.
- 22.00 ft
- Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on Highway 18 near Olivet and begins to flood the low spot of the road east of the bridge.
- 21.00 ft
- Additional levees protecting structures along the river may be overtopped. Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on 431st Avenue 4 miles southeast of the Maxwell Colony. Maxwell road about 200 yards northeast of the bridge begins to flood.
- 20.00 ft
- Highway 44 between Parkston and Freeman, Highway 46 west of Irene, Stone Church Road between Highway 46 and Menno, Highway 81 north of Yankton, and the Jamesville Colony Road in northern Yankton County will all be flooded.
- 19.00 ft
- Structures near the mouth of Wolf Creek may flood if the flow from the creek is also high.
- 18.00 ft
- Residential structures are at risk of flooding, especially if levee protection fails. Highway 44 south of Milltown and Keiber Road in Milltown will be flooded.
- 17.50 ft
- Flooding begins to affect some farm buildings and rural structures and 431st Ave is flooded.
- 16.00 ft
- Approximately 22850 acres of farmland are flooded between Mitchell and Yankton. The lowest portions of SW Jim River Rd between Maxwell rd and Hwy 18 begin to flood and water approaches 431st Ave.
- 14.00 ft
- Approximately 4400 acres of farmland are flooded between Mitchell and Yankton.
- 13.00 ft
- Significant agricultural flooding begins.
- 4.14 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: 24 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.22 ft | September 13, 2019 |
| 2 | 20.45 ft | June 23, 1984 |
| 3 | 20.23 ft | June 21, 2024 |
| 4 | 19.88 ft | April 13, 2001 |
| 5 | 19.81 ft | April 8, 1997 |
| 6 | 19.79 ft | March 19, 2010 |
| 7 | 19.76 ft | July 6, 1993 |
| 8 | 19.52 ft | March 27, 2011 |
| 9 | 19.46 ft | May 11, 2007 |
| 10 | 19.39 ft | May 29, 1995 |
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.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the James River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River | 8.56 ft | Below flood stage | +0.23 ft | 147 mi |
| James River at AshtonRiver gauge, James River | 4.99 ft | Below flood stage | +0.46 ft | 132 mi |
| James River near RedfieldRiver gauge, James River | 4.52 ft | Below flood stage | +0.62 ft | 126 mi |
| James River at HuronRiver gauge, James River | 9.04 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 86 mi |
| James River near ForestburgRiver gauge, James River | 4.56 ft | Below flood stage | +0.03 ft | 59 mi |
| James River near MitchellRiver gauge, James River | 9.96 ft | Low | ±0 | 36 mi |
| James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River | 3.36 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 19 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River | 10.16 ft | Very low | ±0 | 25 mi |
| Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake | 9.41 ft | Normal | −0.15 ft | 26 mi |
| West Fork Vermillion River near ParkerRiver gauge, West Fork Vermillion River | 1.38 ft | Normal | ±0 | 27 mi |
| East Fork Vermillion River near ParkerRiver gauge, East Fork Vermillion River | 5.95 ft | Below flood stage | −4.96 ft | 32 mi |
| Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River | 15.47 ft | Very low | −0.88 ft | 34 mi |
| Bazile Creek near NiobraraRiver gauge, Bazile Creek | 1.92 ft | Low | −0.02 ft | 35 mi |
| Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River | 19.85 ft | Low | −0.82 ft | 36 mi |
| Niobrara River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Niobrara River | 32.10 ft | High | +0.09 ft | 37 mi |
Questions and answers
Is the James River near Scotland higher than last year?
No, it is 3.11 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.25 ft.
What is flood stage for the James River near Scotland?
The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 8.86 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the James River near Scotland in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 5.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.19 ft and 12.70 ft, based on 9 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 near Scotland today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.14 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is James River near Scotland rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of James River near Scotland normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 9 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:06478500(Agency page)- Coordinates
43.18583, -97.63528(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 | 4.14 ft | 2026-10-20 22:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 125 cfs | 2026-10-20 22:30 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: James River near Scotland (usgs:06478500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/james-river-near-scotland
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