Red River of the North at Grand Forks, ND
River level and flood forecast · Polk County
Normal16.6 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM
The river is 11.4 ft below flood stage (28 ft).
Flow: 2,430 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 46 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 40 ft |
| Flood stage | 28 ft |
| Action stage | 27 ft |
| Record crest (April 22, 1997) | 54.35 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 63 ftTop of the flood walls for the city of Grand Forks.
- 60 ftTop of the levee constructed by the Corps of Engineers for the city of Grand Forks.
- 57 ftMallory Bridge closes. (East Grand Forks)
- 55 ftClose Business Highway 2 with earthen closures. (East Grand Forks)
- 54.35 ft**** Record flood level - 22 April 1997...from floodmarks. ****
- 53.5 ftClose Highway 220 with earthen closures. (East Grand Forks)
- 53 ftTop of the rails on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Bridge over the Red River.
- 52.6 ftWater on Gateway Drive approach to Kennedy Bridge. (Grand Forks)
- 52 ftClose railroad at US Highway 2 and Kennedy Bridge with earthen closures.
- 50.1 ftHill St closure to be assembled. (East Grand Forks)
- 48.5 ftSecond Ave NE at 2nd St NE closure to be constructed. Bygland Road at Murray Bridge closure to be assembled. Murray Bridge closed. (East Grand Forks)
- 47 ftHill St railroad closure and 4th St NW road closure to be assembled. (East Grand Forks)
- 46.5 ftTwelfth St NW road closure assembled. Twelfth St NW closed at River Road. (East Grand Forks)
- 46.2 ftWater on Demers Ave at Sorlie Bridge. (Grand Forks)
- 46 ftMAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
- 45 ftTop of the elevation of the low level levee protecting Riverside Park. (Grand Forks)
- 44.9 ftWater on East Grand Forks approach to the Point Bridge.
- 44 ftRiver Road and 17th St NW closure to be assembled. River Road/4th St NW closed from 17th St NW to 5th Ave NW. (East Grand Forks)
- 43.5 ftDemers Ave closure to be assembled and closed at River St Sorlie Bridge closes. Downtown invisible floodwall to be assembled.
- 42 ftRoad entering Riverside Park is closed. (Grand Forks)
- 41.5 ftFlood gates on English Coulee are closed, pump station and diversion gates are activated. (Grand Forks)
- 40 ftMODERATE FLOOD STAGE. Extensive flooding along the greenway. (Grand Forks) Point Bridge closes due to water on approach and Eagles Point Trail Head/Park closes. (East Grand Forks)
- 38 ftFlood gates are closed and storm water pumping stations are activated. (Grand Forks)
- 36.5 ftRiver Heights Trail Head and Park closed. (East Grand Forks)
- 34 ftFourth St underpass at Gateway Drive (Hwy 2) closes. (East Grand Forks)
Highest crests on record
- 54.35 ft — April 22, 1997
- 50.2 ft — April 10, 1897
- 49.86 ft — April 14, 2011
- 49.33 ft — April 1, 2009
- 48.81 ft — April 26, 1979
Recent crests: 27.12 ft (April 15, 2026) · 20.01 ft (August 12, 2025) · 27.34 ft (May 29, 2024) · 40.8 ft (April 24, 2023) · 46.07 ft (April 26, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (EGFM5); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.