TornadoLiveMap

Arkansas River at Ralston — water level right now

Pawnee County, Oklahoma · NWS gauge RLSO2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
16
minor flood stage
 
23
record crest
set 1923-06-11
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 16
minor · 16
moderate · 18
major · 21
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage21extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage18some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage16low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage16water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1231923-06-11+7 above
222.981973-10-13+6.98 above
322.821944-04-25+6.82 above
422.61964-11-18+6.6 above
522.61964-11-15+6.6 above
622.21986-10-04+6.2 above
722.142019-05-23+6.14 above
822.032019-05-26+6.03 above
921.992019-05-25+5.99 above
1021.621959-10-05+5.62 above
1121.451951-07-03+5.45 above
1221.411957-05-20+5.41 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Black Bear Creek at Pawnee 12 mi away · loading… Arkansas River near Ponca City 17 mi away · loading… Eastern Oklahoma Lakes at Kaw Lake 17 mi away · loading… Eastern Oklahoma Lakes at Birch Lake 31 mi away · loading… Salt Fork Arkansas River at Tonkawa 34 mi away · loading… Eastern Oklahoma Lakes at Keystone Lake 36 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDRLSO2
USGS site07152500
CountyPawnee
StateOklahoma
NWS forecast officeTulsa
River forecast centerArkansas-Red Basin RFC
Coordinates36.504, -96.728
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Arkansas River at Ralston

Is Arkansas River at Ralston flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 16 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Arkansas River at Ralston?

major flood stage 21 ft, moderate flood stage 18 ft, minor flood stage 16 ft, action stage 16 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Arkansas River at Ralston?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 23 ft, reached on 1923-06-11 — that is 7 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Tulsa and local emergency management.