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SHEYENNE RIVER

River Levels • Streamflow • Hydrology

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Total streamflow across the Sheyenne River was last observed at 677 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,343 acre-ft of water today; about 78% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 872 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-05-01 when daily discharge volume was observed at 31,618 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sheyenne River Near Kindred reporting a streamflow rate of 438 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sheyenne River Below Baldhill Dam with a gauge stage of 24.25 ft. This river is monitored from 9 different streamgauging stations along the Sheyenne River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,555 ft, the Sheyenne River Above Harvey.

The Sheyenne River is a 591-kilometer-long tributary of the Red River located in North Dakota, USA. The river has played a significant role in the history of the area, serving as a transportation route for Native Americans and early European settlers. The river's hydrology consists of a drainage area of about 12,000 square kilometers, and it is fed by numerous small tributaries. The Baldhill Dam and Lake Ashtabula are two major reservoirs on the river. The Baldhill Dam provides flood control and helps regulate water levels, while Lake Ashtabula is used for flood control, irrigation, and recreation. The Sheyenne River offers opportunities for fishing, canoeing, and hiking, and it serves as a critical source of irrigation water for farmers in the region.

December 25, 2024

Last Updated	2024-12-04
Discharge Volume	1,343 ACRE-FT
Streamflow	677.0 cfs -146.5 cfs (-17.79%)
Percent of Normal	77.65%
Maximum	31,618.0 cfs 2011-05-01
Seasonal Avg	872 cfs

History of the River

The Sheyenne River is one of the major tributaries of the Red River of the North, meandering 591 miles (951 km) across eastern North Dakota, United States.
The river begins about 15 miles (24 km) north of McClusky, and flows generally eastward before turning south near McVille. The southerly flow of the river continues through Griggs and Barnes counties before it turns in a northeastward direction near Lisbon. The river forms the 27-mile long Lake Ashtabula behind the Baldhill Dam north of Valley City, which was constructed in 1951 for flood control by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The Sheyenne is classified as a "perch river," as its banks are higher than the surrounding ground, formed as natural levees in flooding centuries ago. When floodwaters break through the banks, they spread in a wide area.From Lisbon, the river crosses the Sheyenne National Grassland and enters Cass County near the city of Kindred. This stretch of the river is designated a National Wild and Scenic Riverway. From Kindred, the river flows north-northeastward through the fertile plains of the Red River Valley.
The character of the river changes as it leaves the sandy grasslands and picks up the fertile clay soil of the Red River Valley. Previously, the river posed a flooding hazard to cities such as West Fargo and Harwood, where it joins the Red River of the North, which flows north to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. Thanks to a diversion canal completed near Horace and extending past West Fargo, these major Sheyenne River cities fared well in the 1997 Red River Flood. By contrast, this flood devastated the cities of Grand Forks in North Dakota and East Grand Forks in Minnesota.
The Sheyenne diversion canal, built 1990-1992 in a joint federal-state effort, channels waters around the edges of the cities to draw off floodwaters. It was built primarily by the US Army Corps of Engineers, at a cost of $27.8 million. In West Fargo alone, the diversion project involved construction of:

6.8 mile diversion control
12.7 miles of protection levees
4 diversion structures
2 pumping stations (54,000 and 66,000 gpm)
1 railroad bridge
4 highway bridges
6 road raises.The Sheyenne River was named after the Cheyenne Indians of the area. Alternate names include: Cayenne River, Cheyenne River, and Maitomoni'ohe.