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James River (VA) at Richmond Locks — water level right now

City of Richmond, Virginia · NWS gauge RICV2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
8
minor flood stage
 
36.5
record crest
set 1972-06-23
–
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 · 6
minor · 8
moderate · 19
major · 28
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage28extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage19some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage8low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage6water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
136.51972-06-23+28.5 above
230.761985-11-07+22.76 above
328.61969-08-22+20.6 above
426.51936-03-30+18.5 above
525.21937-04-27+17.2 above
624.21972-10-07+16.2 above
723.751996-09-08+15.75 above
823.651935-09-07+15.65 above
923.31940-08-18+15.3 above
1023.21901-12-31+15.2 above
1122.51979-02-27+14.5 above
1222.41944-09-21+14.4 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

James River (VA) at Richmond-Westham 7 mi away · loading… Swift Creek at Pocahontas State Park Pedestrian Bridge 13 mi away · loading… Swift Creek at Colonial Heights 17 mi away · loading… James River near Jordan Point below Hopewell (IN MLLW) 18 mi away · loading… Appomattox River at Pocahontas 20 mi away · loading… Harrison Creek near Fort Gregg-Adams 20 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDRICV2
USGS site02037705
CountyCity of Richmond
StateVirginia
NWS forecast officeWakefield
River forecast centerMiddle Atlantic River Forecast Center
Coordinates37.525, -77.421
Time zoneEST5EDT
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 James River (VA) at Richmond Locks

Is James River (VA) at Richmond Locks 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 8 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for James River (VA) at Richmond Locks?

major flood stage 28 ft, moderate flood stage 19 ft, minor flood stage 8 ft, action stage 6 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at James River (VA) at Richmond Locks?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 36.5 ft, reached on 1972-06-23 — that is 28.5 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 Wakefield and local emergency management.