SHEYENNE RIVER
RIVER LEVELSApril 24, 2025
Total streamflow across the
Sheyenne River
was last observed at
2,486
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
4,930
acre-ft of water today; about 39%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
6,450 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 At West Fargo
reporting a streamflow rate of 461 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Sheyenne River Below Baldhill Dam
with a gauge stage of 24.77 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.
| Last Updated | 2025-04-24 |
| Discharge Volume | 4,930 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
2,485.7 cfs
-46.2 cfs (-1.82%) |
| Percent of Normal | 38.54% |
| Maximum |
31,618.0 cfs
2011-05-01 |
| Seasonal Avg | 6,450 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sheyenne River Above Harvey
USGS 05054500 |
11 cfs | 5.24 ft | -1.83 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River Nr Warwick
USGS 05056000 |
164 cfs | 3.71 ft | 10.81 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River Nr Cooperstown
USGS 05057000 |
294 cfs | 10.77 ft | -2.33 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River Below Baldhill Dam
USGS 05058000 |
285 cfs | 24.77 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River At Lisbon
USGS 05058700 |
374 cfs | 3.92 ft | -9.44 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River Near Kindred
USGS 05059000 |
452 cfs | 4.92 ft | -0.66 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River Diversion At West Fargo
USGS 05059480 |
3 cfs | 6.93 ft | -16.23 | |||||
|
Sheyenne R Ab Sheyenne R Diversion Nr Horace
USGS 05059300 |
445 cfs | 15.86 ft | -0.67 | |||||
|
Sheyenne River At West Fargo
USGS 05059500 |
461 cfs | 8.06 ft | -2.12 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Weather Forecast
Streamflow Elevation Profile
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.