Information
Jamestown and Pipestem Reservoirs are located along the James River and Pipestem Creek immediately north of Jamestown, N.D. Pipestem Reservoir is a United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project and Jamestown Reservoir is a Bureau of Reclamation project that is regulated by the USACE when the reservoir is in the flood control zone.
Data from gages on the James River in North Dakota and South Dakota is available on the U.S. Geological Survey website:
- USGS — James River at Highway 46 - Adrian (opens in a new window) (data available generally March–September)
- USGS — James River at LaMoure (opens in a new window)
- NWS — Hydrologic Information — James River at LaMoure (opens in a new window)
Daily reservoir information is provided by the Corps at: https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water-Information/Water-Control/ (opens in a new window)
Historical Flood Data
In 2009, the James River at LaMoure had two records. The river recorded its highest reading of 17.56 ft on April 15th and a high crest of 16.52 ft earlier that spring. The Adrian gage also experienced a record crest of 36.43 ft on April 14th, 2009.
On April 4, 2019 near midnight, the James River at LaMoure rose to 15.95 ft, overtaking the 2010 record level of 15.80 ft. Due to the wettest September in 125 years and an early October blizzard that produced over 12 inches of snow, the James River saw a second crest of 15.12 ft on October 26, 2019 — now the 9th highest river level on record. The James River at Adrian also rose to levels that surpassed 2010 and 2011 levels, cresting at 33.31 ft and 4,410 cfs on October 23, 2019.
Flows are regulated from the Jamestown and Pipestem Reservoirs into the James River. Much planning and coordination is done to determine the releases. High flow years mean that more than 160,000 acre-feet need to be discharged. 2008 was a low flow year with less than 20,000 acre-feet discharged, versus 2011 which was the record year for volume at over 800,000 acre-feet discharged.
High Maximum Combined Releases — Jamestown & Pipestem Reservoirs
| Year | Maximum Release | Total Annual Discharge Volume (acre-ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,800 cfs | ~445,000 |
| 2008 | N/A | ~10,000 |
| 2009 | 3,200 cfs | ~540,000 |
| 2010 | 1,800 cfs | ~350,000 |
| 2011 | 2,400 cfs | ~840,000 |
| 2019 | 2,400 cfs | ~447,000 |
Flood Stage Reference
Major Flood Stage — 18 ft
- (1) 17.56 ft on 04/15/2009 — record
- (2) 16.52 ft on 03/27/2009
- (3) 16.20 ft on 05/24/1969
- (4) 16.17 ft on 04/14/1969
- (5) 16.09 ft on 04/01/1997
Moderate Flood Stage — 16 ft (~7,530 cfs)
- (6) 15.95 ft on 04/04/2019
- (7) 15.80 ft on 03/21/2010
- (8) 15.34 ft on 05/16/1950
- (9) 15.12 ft on 10/26/2019
- (10) 14.85 ft on 03/21/1966
Minor Flood Stage — 14.0 ft (~3,880 cfs)
Action Stage — 12.0 ft (~2,690 cfs)
Average Level — 7 to 8 ft