James River near Stratford, SD
River level and flood forecast · Spink County
Normal5.5 ftas of Mon 1:45 PM
The river is 8.5 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Flow: 37 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 | 18.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 17 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 13 ft |
| Record crest (July 19, 2011) | 21.57 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 25 ftThe bridge at the gauge location on 148th/County Rd 27 is overtopped.
- 23 ftWater approaches Hwy 20 and may flood the lowest portions west of the bridge.
- 22 ftThe bridge on 151st St is overtopped.
- 20 ftThe bridges on 395th Ave as well as 142nd St are overtopped.
- 18.5 ft395th Ave/County Rd 16 as well as 142nd/County Rd 23 both may begin to flood creating significant travel impacts to the area. 151st St is also flooded and the bridge on 146th Street is overtopped.
- 17 ftAdditional county roads begin to flood, including 146th St.
- 16 ft137th Street and 140th Street begin to flood as does 391st Ave north of Hwy 20.
- 14 ftSignificant amounts of agricultural lands begin flooding.
Highest crests on record
- 21.57 ft — July 19, 2011
- 20.08 ft — March 29, 2010
- 19.98 ft — April 26, 2009
- 19.86 ft — May 18, 1995
- 19.48 ft — April 6, 1997
Recent crests: 15.38 ft (September 24, 2025) · 17.8 ft (May 19, 2023) · 18.43 ft (April 18, 2020) · 18.68 ft (April 19, 2019) · 14.08 ft (March 29, 2017)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SFDS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.