River stage
Dardanelle, Arkansas River
- River level
- 4.86 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -1.33 ft
- Recent high
- 20.99 ft
- Recent low
- 4.60 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS DARA4
- 30-day change
- +0.26 ft
- Average
- 8.91 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 45.91 ft
In brief
The Arkansas River at Dardanelle, AR read 4.86 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 27.14 ft below action stage. That is 0.26 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge DARA4
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45.91 ft | 2019-05-30 |
| 2 | 44.10 ft | 1943-05-25 |
| 3 | 43.40 ft | 1957-05-30 |
| 4 | 43.15 ft | 1945-04-19 |
| 5 | 43.00 ft | 1927-04-19 |
| 6 | 41.60 ft | 1990-05-04 |
| 7 | 40.83 ft | 2015-12-29 |
| 8 | 40.50 ft | 1973-04-23 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 32.00 ft
Minor flooding, commercial and industrial areas along the river in Dardanelle and Russellville may be affected. Lower lying agricultural land within the levee starts to flood.
- 34.00 ft
Approximately 2000 acres of farmland flooded. Galla Creek Wildlife Management area partially flooded and State Highway 105 along the river may be affected.
- 35.00 ft
State Highway 155 in Yell County and County Roads inside the levee flooded. About 5000 acres of farmland flooded.
- 36.00 ft
Moderate flood conditions expected with numerous roads and highways affected, backwater up Petit Jean River floods State Highway 154. Carden Bottoms and Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge flooded.
- 41.00 ft
Major flooding expected, levee patrolling begins. December 2015 flood crested at 40.8 feet. May 1990 flood crested at 41.6 feet. Several highways and numerous county roads flooded.
- 44.00 ft
Serious flooding expected, overtopping of Dardanelle Drainage District Levee possible. Flood of record prior to completion of the flood control reservoirs and the navigation system was 44.1 feet in May 1943.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Arkansas River flooding at Dardanelle?
No. The Arkansas River at Dardanelle is at 4.86 ft, 27.14 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Dardanelle?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 32 ft, minor flooding 32 ft, moderate flooding 36 ft and major flooding 40 ft.
What is the highest the Arkansas River has been at Dardanelle?
The highest crest on record is 45.91 ft, on 2019-05-30.
Is the Arkansas River high or low right now at Dardanelle?
At 4.86 ft it is higher than 2% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge DARA4); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 07258000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.