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Arkansas River at Van Buren — water level right now

Crawford County, Arkansas · NWS gauge VBUA4
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
22
minor flood stage
 
40.79
record crest
set 2019-06-01
–
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 · 22
minor · 22
moderate · 26
major · 31
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage31extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage26some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage22low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage22water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
140.792019-06-01+18.79 above
240.262019-05-28+18.26 above
338.11945-04-16+16.1 above
4381943-05-12+16 above
537.31941-11-03+15.3 above
636.71927-04-16+14.7 above
736.11990-05-05+14.1 above
835.971957-05-28+13.97 above
935.71941-11-02+13.7 above
1034.751986-10-09+12.75 above
1134.632015-12-30+12.63 above
1234.31935-06-19+12.3 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

Northwest Arkansas Lakes at Barling Lock and Dam 7 mi away · loading… Mulberry River (AR) near Mulberry 22 mi away · loading… Arkansas River at Ozark L/D Tailwater 31 mi away · loading… Fourche LaFave River near Gravelly 55 mi away · loading… Petit Jean River at Danville 60 mi away · loading… Arkansas River at Dardanelle 69 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDVBUA4
USGS site07250500
CountyCrawford
StateArkansas
NWS forecast officeTulsa
River forecast centerArkansas-Red Basin RFC
Coordinates35.431, -94.356
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 Van Buren

Is Arkansas River at Van Buren 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 22 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 Van Buren?

major flood stage 31 ft, moderate flood stage 26 ft, minor flood stage 22 ft, action stage 22 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 Van Buren?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 40.79 ft, reached on 2019-06-01 — that is 18.79 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.