Black River at Black Rock water level

Name: Black River at Black Rock 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, Black River, Arkansas, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.90ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 2,300 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.80 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:09 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Black River at Black Rock, where the gauge shows 0.90 ft.

It is 13.10 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.80 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. There is still 13.10 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 0.85 ft – 0.92 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 31.90 ftAugust 21, 1915
Forecast peak: 0.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 14.00 ft.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: The crest of record is 31.9 feet which occurred on August 21, 1915. Heavy rainfall was due to a hurricane which made landfall near Galveston Texas, and moved across Arkansas.
31.50 ft: This is an extremely serious situation, residential areas of Black Rock, Portia, and Powhatan may be flooded. Flood crest of December 1982 was 31.51 feet, the second highest crest of record. Major flood damages to roads, bridges, and homes along the river in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties. River is very dangerous at this level. State Highways 25, 37, and 69 will be flooded. Stay away from the edges of high banks along the river, bank caving is possible.
28.50 ft: Highway 412 between Highway 63 and Walnut Ridge becomes inundated by flood waters.
28.00 ft: Major flooding occurring at or above 28 feet. Portions of Black Rock and Powhatan Courthouse State Park floods. Jacksonport State Park Riverside of levee floods. State Highways 25, 37, and 69 will flood. 40 thousand acres of cropland flooded in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties. Flood crests at Black Rock, 28.6 feet in April 2008, 29.7 feet in March 2008, and 30.45 feet in April 2011.
25.00 ft: State Highway 37 will probably flood on west side of Black River. State Highway 25 south of Black Rock and State Highway 69 near Jacksonport may be partially flooded. Water will be in portions of Powhatan State Park. Extensive cropland flooding, flooding classified as moderate.
24.00 ft: Thousands of acres of cropland and pastures flooded. State Highway 37 in Independence County east of Cord may be flooded. Water rises into low lying streets in Powhatan. Ball Park and Boat Ramp Area in Black Rock floods.
20.00 ft: Agricultural land is flooding along both banks of the river in Lawrence, Independence, and Jackson counties. Minor flooding in Powhatan Community and Courthouse State Park.
17.00 ft: Low lying cultivated land and pastures in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties flood.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Farm ground along east bank begins to flood.
0.90 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	31.90 ft	August 21, 1915
2	31.51 ft	December 4, 1982
3	30.45 ft	April 27, 2011
4	30.30 ft	April 15, 1927
5	30.00 ft	May 1, 2017
6	29.74 ft	March 20, 2008
7	29.74 ft	April 6, 2025
8	29.24 ft	April 24, 1973
9	28.61 ft	April 12, 2008
10	28.50 ft	January 25, 1949

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Black River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Black River near AnnapolisRiver gauge, Black River	3.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	87 mi
Black River at LeeperRiver gauge, Black River	229 cfs	Low	±0	70 mi
Black River above WilliamsvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.01 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	66 mi
Black River at Poplar BluffRiver gauge, Black River	−0.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	60 mi
Black River near CorningRiver gauge, Black River	0.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	37 mi
Black River near Peach OrchardRiver gauge, Black River	262.15 ft	No reference yet	+0.19 ft	26 mi
Black River at PocahontasRiver gauge, Black River	0.40 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring River at ImbodenRiver gauge, Spring River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	8 mi
Eleven Point River near Ravenden SpringsRiver gauge, Eleven Point River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Cache River at EgyptRiver gauge, Cache River	3.82 ft	Low	−0.09 ft	19 mi
Spring River at Spring Street Bridge at HardyRiver gauge, Spring River	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
South Fork Spring River at SaddleRiver gauge, South Fork Spring River	3.5 cfs	Very low	±0	34 mi
White River at NewportRiver gauge, White River	1.17 ft	Low	−1.03 ft	36 mi
Eleven Point River near BardleyRiver gauge, Eleven Point River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	38 mi
Current River at DoniphanRiver gauge, Current River	−0.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Black River at Black Rock?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 13.10 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 Black River at Black Rock today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:00 AM CDT, the water level was 0.90 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Black River at Black Rock rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Black River at Black Rock normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black River at Black Rock?

The highest level on record is 31.90 ft on August 21, 1915.

Is Black River at Black Rock expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.80 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07072500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.10250, -91.09778 (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	0.90 ft	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional
Flow	2,300 cfs	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Black River at Black Rock (usgs:07072500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arkansas/black-river-at-black-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