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SwedenArkansas River at Little Rock water level
River gauge, Arkansas River, Arkansas, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:13 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Arkansas River at Little Rock, where the gauge shows 7.49 ft.
It is 15.51 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.
It is on the way up, by 0.34 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. There is still 15.51 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 7.08 ft – 7.49 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 34.60 ftJune 17, 1833
- Forecast peak
- 7.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 23.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 34.60 ft
- Flood of record, June 1833.
- 29.00 ft
- Baring Cross, Dixie, and Eastgate areas of North Little Rock are affected.
- 27.00 ft
- Shillcutt Bayou backwater flooding near 37th and 38th Streets west of State Highway 365. The County Farm Road area floods from backwater up the Little Maumelle River, several homes are impacted by access problems. The Arkansas River crested in May 8th 1990 at 27.7 feet.
- 26.00 ft
- Fourche Dam Pike and the community south of the road begins flooding from backwater up Fourche Creek. Burns Park golf course partially flooded from backwater up Shillcutt Bayou.
- 25.00 ft
- Areas on the North Little Rock side near White Oak and Shilcutt Bayous may be affected. Lower areas of Burns Park inundated by backwater.
- 24.00 ft
- Homes on Gribble Street in the Crockett Addition may be affected. Riverfront Park inside the levee flooded. Beck Road, County Farm Road, and Isabell Lane will become inundated.
- 23.00 ft
- Bankfull stage. Rebsamen Park Golf Course, Murray Park, and Riverfront Park partially flooded. Marine terminal and commercial facilities downstream of the Interstate 30 Bridge are affected.
- 21.00 ft
- North Little Rock must close sewer system flood gates to prevent backwater flooding up sewers. Water will be encroaching on homes in Two Rivers Park area along the Arkansas River.
- 18.00 ft
- Farmlands downstream of Little Rock are effected. The Bill Clark Presidential Park Wetlands are inundated. Portions of Burns Park, Cooks Landing, and the Arkansas River Trail on the North Little Rock side are inundated.
- 7.49 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: 9 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34.60 ft | June 17, 1833 |
| 2 | 33.00 ft | April 20, 1927 |
| 3 | 32.60 ft | May 25, 1844 |
| 4 | 30.50 ft | June 13, 1877 |
| 5 | 30.45 ft | April 21, 1945 |
| 6 | 30.05 ft | May 27, 1943 |
| 7 | 29.71 ft | June 5, 2019 |
| 8 | 29.70 ft | August 1, 1866 |
| 9 | 29.60 ft | April 17, 1844 |
| 10 | 29.60 ft | March 22, 1858 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Arkansas River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar.River gauge, Arkansas River | 5,100 cfs | Low | −2,080.0 cfs | 130 mi |
| Arkansas River at DardanelleRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 5.68 ft | Below flood stage | +0.11 ft | 60 mi |
| Arkansas River near MorriltonRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 9.66 ft | Below flood stage | +0.15 ft | 37 mi |
| Arkansas River at Murray Dam near Little RockRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 8,100 cfs | Normal | +7,626 cfs | 6.0 mi |
| Arkansas River at Pine BluffRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 31.25 ft | Normal | +0.04 ft | 35 mi |
| Arkansas River at PendletonRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 26.30 ft | Below flood stage | +0.27 ft | 73 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourche Creek at Univ. Avenue at Little RockRiver gauge, Fourche Creek | 0.0 cfs | Low | ±0 | 5.3 mi |
| Rock Creek at 36th Street at Little RockRiver gauge, Rock Creek | 0.0 cfs | Very low | −0.2 cfs | 5.5 mi |
| Saline River at BentonRiver gauge, Saline River | 3.13 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 23 mi |
| Maumelle River below Bringle Creek near WyeRiver gauge, Maumelle River | 0.0 cfs | Normal | ±0 | 25 mi |
| Bringle Creek at MartindaleRiver gauge, Bringle Creek | 0.0 cfs | Normal | ±0 | 25 mi |
| Maumelle River near WyeRiver gauge, Maumelle River | 0.0 cfs | Low | ±0 | 25 mi |
| Maumelle River at Williams JunctionRiver gauge, Maumelle River | 0.0 cfs | Low | ±0 | 30 mi |
| Fourche La Fave River near HoustonRiver gauge, Fourche La Fave River | 9.20 ft | Below flood stage | +0.43 ft | 32 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Little Rock?
The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 15.51 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 Little Rock today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT, the water level was 7.49 ft. Up 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Arkansas River at Little Rock rising or falling?
Up 0.34 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Arkansas River at Little Rock 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 Little Rock?
The highest level on record is 34.60 ft on June 17, 1833.
Is Arkansas River at Little Rock expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 7.10 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:07263500(Agency page)- Coordinates
34.74933, -92.26670(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 | 7.49 ft | 2026-10-20 07:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Little Rock (usgs:07263500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arkansas/arkansas-river-at-little-rock
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