James River (VA) at Bent Creek, VA
River level and flood forecast · Nelson County
The river is 11.4 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Forecast to rise to 5.5 ft Tue 8 AM, below the 16 ft flood stage.
Flow: 4,810 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 3 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 22 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 15 ft |
| Record crest (November 5, 1985) | 30.76 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22 ftSome secondary roads are closed and some farm outbuildings affected.
- 18 ftFlooding of farmlands and field roads in the area.
- 16 ftBoth banks begin to overflow, only pasture and cropland affected.
Highest crests on record
- 30.76 ft — November 5, 1985
- 27.13 ft — June 21, 1972
- 24.77 ft — August 20, 1969
- 23.02 ft — March 18, 1936
- 22.1 ft — January 20, 1996
Recent crests: 17.19 ft (February 17, 2025) · 11.33 ft (January 29, 2024) · 13.13 ft (July 16, 2023) · 12.63 ft (November 13, 2020) · 11.48 ft (October 30, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamJames River (VA) at Holcomb Rock, VA
- DownstreamJames River (VA) at Scottsville, VA
- Holiday Creek at nr. Andersonville, VA
- Tye River near Lovingston, VA
- Piney River at Piney River, VA
- Harris Creek below Route 130 Near Monroe, VA
- Rockfish River near Greenfield, VA
- Buffalo Creek (VA) near HAMPDEN SYDNEY, VA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BECV2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.