River stage
Black Rock, Black River
- River level
- 1.09 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- -0.48 ft
- Recent high
- 6.36 ft
- Recent low
- 0.98 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS BKRA4
- 30-day change
- -2.09 ft
- Average
- 2.84 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 31.90 ft
In brief
The Black River at Black Rock, AR read 1.09 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 10.91 ft below action stage. That is 2.09 ft lower than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge BKRA4
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31.90 ft | 1915-08-21 |
| 2 | 31.51 ft | 1982-12-04 |
| 3 | 30.45 ft | 2011-04-27 |
| 4 | 30.30 ft | 1927-04-15 |
| 5 | 30.00 ft | 2017-05-01 |
| 6 | 29.74 ft | 2025-04-06 |
| 7 | 29.74 ft | 2008-03-20 |
| 8 | 29.24 ft | 1973-04-24 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 14.00 ft
Minor flooding begins. Farm ground along east bank begins to flood.
- 17.00 ft
Low lying cultivated land and pastures in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties flood.
- 20.00 ft
Agricultural land is flooding along both banks of the river in Lawrence, Independence, and Jackson counties. Minor flooding in Powhatan Community and Courthouse State Park.
- 24.00 ft
Thousands of acres of cropland and pastures flooded. State Highway 37 in Independence County east of Cord may be flooded. Water rises into low lying streets in Powhatan. Ball Park and Boat Ramp Area in Black Rock floods.
- 25.00 ft
State Highway 37 will probably flood on west side of Black River. State Highway 25 south of Black Rock and State Highway 69 near Jacksonport may be partially flooded. Water will be in portions of Powhatan State Park. Extensive cropland flooding, flooding classified as moderate.
- 28.00 ft
Major flooding occurring at or above 28 feet. Portions of Black Rock and Powhatan Courthouse State Park floods. Jacksonport State Park Riverside of levee floods. State Highways 25, 37, and 69 will flood. 40 thousand acres of cropland flooded in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties. Flood crests at Black Rock, 28.6 feet in April 2008, 29.7 feet in March 2008, and 30.45 feet in April 2011.
- 28.50 ft
Highway 412 between Highway 63 and Walnut Ridge becomes inundated by flood waters.
- 31.50 ft
This is an extremely serious situation, residential areas of Black Rock, Portia, and Powhatan may be flooded. Flood crest of December 1982 was 31.51 feet, the second highest crest of record. Major flood damages to roads, bridges, and homes along the river in Lawrence, Jackson, and Independence counties. River is very dangerous at this level. State Highways 25, 37, and 69 will be flooded. Stay away from the edges of high banks along the river, bank caving is possible.
- 32.00 ft
The crest of record is 31.9 feet which occurred on August 21, 1915. Heavy rainfall was due to a hurricane which made landfall near Galveston Texas, and moved across Arkansas.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Black River flooding at Black Rock?
No. The Black River at Black Rock is at 1.09 ft, 10.91 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Black Rock?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 12 ft, minor flooding 14 ft, moderate flooding 25 ft and major flooding 28 ft.
What is the highest the Black River has been at Black Rock?
The highest crest on record is 31.9 ft, on 1915-08-21.
Is the Black River high or low right now at Black Rock?
At 1.09 ft it is higher than 7% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge BKRA4); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 07072500). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.