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Flow report

South Dakota River Levels & Streamflow

As of Sep 25, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 73% of normal across 94 USGS gauges — the highest is 1,400 cfs on the White River Near White River. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in South Dakota.

USGS gauges
94
State percent normal
73%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Sep 25
Open the South Dakota flow layer on the map Every USGS streamgauge filtered to South Dakota.
Open the map →
September
25
2026
Flow briefing

Streamflow levels across South Dakota are currently 73% of normal, with the White River Near White River reporting the highest discharge in the state at 1,400 cfs and a gauge stage of 6.36 ft.

Meanwhile, the White River Near White River is seeing a spike today — up 1221% since yesterday and currently running near peak.

Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into South Dakota's named rivers.

South Dakota at a glance

State-wide streamflow overview

The South Dakota flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.

Percent of normal

73%

100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.

Highest discharge

White River Near White River 1,400 cfs

Gauge stage 6.36 ft

Biggest 24h spike

White River Near White River +1221%

Now 1,400 cfs

Network coverage

Gauges + rivers tracked 94 + 0

USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in South Dakota.

Where every gauge actually sits

One dot per South Dakota streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.

State average 73%
0% 50% 100% · normal 150% 200%+
Much below normalunder 50% Below normal50–90% Near normal90–110% Above normal110–150% Much above normalover 150%

Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.

South Dakota streamflow, three water years

Statewide percent of normal, every day since Sep 2023. The dotted line is normal.

73% of normal today
-45pts vs this day last year (118%)
234of 366 days below normal, past year
469% 3-year peak · Dec 2025 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Sep 2023 202420252026 Sep 24, 2026

799 daily readings from 86 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 100 readings above that — including the 469% peak in Dec 2025 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.

Full streamgauge inventory

South Dakota USGS streamgauges

Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in South Dakota. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.

94 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Cheyenne R Near Plainview Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06438500
444 cfs 8.85 ft 60°F 54°F 1,865 ft Lower Cheyenne
White River Near White River, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447450
354 cfs 4.62 ft · 66°F 1,775 ft Middle White
Big Sioux R At North Cliff Ave At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482020
313 cfs 5.49 ft · 57°F 1,303 ft Lower Big Sioux
Cheyenne R At Edgemont Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06395000
312 cfs 2.79 ft · 52°F 3,422 ft Angostura Reservoir
White R Near Oacoma Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06452000
295 cfs 8.46 ft · 60°F 1,394 ft Lower White
James R Near Scotland Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478500
275 cfs 4.69 ft · 59°F 1,187 ft Lower James
James River Nr Yankton Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478513
229 cfs 3.63 ft · 59°F 1,164 ft Lower James
Big Sioux R Near Dell Rapids Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481000
209 cfs 3.70 ft · 57°F 1,464 ft Lower Big Sioux
White R Near Kadoka Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447000
179 cfs 4.65 ft · 56°F 2,131 ft Middle White
James R Near Forestburg Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06477000
163 cfs 4.90 ft · 60°F 1,214 ft Lower James
Big Sioux River Near Brookings Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06480000
137 cfs 2.56 ft · 56°F 1,562 ft Lower Big Sioux
James R At Ashton Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06473000
126 cfs 3.88 ft · 63°F 1,271 ft Middle James
Cheyenne River Near Wasta, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06423500
125 cfs · · 55°F 2,269 ft Middle Cheyenne-Elk
Inlet Canal Above Belle Fourche Reservoir Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06434505
119 cfs 4.83 ft · 55°F 2,985 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Little White R Near Rosebud Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449500
115 cfs 4.21 ft · 65°F 2,305 ft Little White
James R At Huron Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06476000
113 cfs 9.14 ft · 60°F 1,233 ft Middle James
Little White R Below White River Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06450500
112 cfs 2.01 ft · 66°F 1,927 ft Little White
White R Near Interior Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446500
101 cfs 4.04 ft · 57°F 2,300 ft Middle White
Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06433000
93 cfs 2.90 ft · 56°F 3,018 ft Redwater
Big Sioux River Near Bruce, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479770
91 cfs 3.42 ft · 57°F 1,630 ft Upper Big Sioux
Little White R Near Vetal Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449100
87 cfs 3.49 ft 42°F 62°F 2,789 ft Little White
Big Sioux R At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482000
87 cfs 1.58 ft · 57°F 1,395 ft Lower Big Sioux
James R Near Redfield Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06475000
83 cfs 3.52 ft · 63°F 1,264 ft Middle James
Cheyenne R Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402600
74 cfs 2.36 ft · 55°F 2,820 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Belle Fourche River Near Elm Springs, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06438000
72 cfs 4.21 ft · 54°F 2,180 ft Lower Belle Fourche
James R Near Stratford Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06472000
68 cfs 6.00 ft · 64°F 1,276 ft Upper James
Belle Fourche R Near Sturgis Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06437000
67 cfs 2.72 ft · 51°F 2,546 ft Lower Belle Fourche
White R Nr Ne-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06445685
61 cfs 4.51 ft · 55°F 3,041 ft Upper White
Cheyenne River At Redshirt, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06403700
59 cfs 9.57 ft 67°F 55°F 2,670 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Keya Paha R At Wewela Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06464500
55 cfs 2.27 ft · 63°F 2,053 ft Keya Paha
Rapid Cr Near Farmingdale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06421500
52 cfs 5.80 ft · 55°F 2,711 ft Rapid
Grand R At Little Eagle Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06357800
45 cfs 2.58 ft · 55°F 1,640 ft Grand
James River At Nd-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06470878
41 cfs 87.81 ft 32°F 65°F 1,290 ft Upper James
Spearfish Cr At Spearfish Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06431500
38 cfs 4.83 ft · 55°F 3,669 ft Redwater
Rapid Cr At Rapid City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06414000
37 cfs 3.43 ft · 55°F 3,246 ft Rapid
Rapid Cr Below Pactola Dam Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06411500
31 cfs 7.40 ft · 50°F 4,420 ft Rapid
White R Near Oglala Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446000
30 cfs 7.02 ft · 55°F 2,880 ft Upper White
Rapid Cr Above Pactola Res At Silver City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06410500
28 cfs 4.62 ft · 48°F 4,628 ft Rapid
Redwater Cr At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06430500
28 cfs 2.87 ft · 51°F 3,424 ft Redwater
Spearfish Creek Near Lead, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06430770
27 cfs 7.55 ft · 45°F 5,312 ft Redwater
Moreau R Near Faith Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06359500
27 cfs · · 50°F 2,248 ft Lower Moreau
Big Sioux R Near Castlewood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479525
26 cfs 4.76 ft · 60°F 1,682 ft Upper Big Sioux
South Fork Grand R Near Cash Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06356500
26 cfs 1.09 ft · 50°F 2,425 ft South Fork Grand
Fall R At Hot Springs Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402000
25 cfs · · 55°F 3,430 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Rapid Cr Above Canyon Lake Near Rapid City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06412500
24 cfs 1.87 ft 35°F 59°F 3,416 ft Rapid
Lake Cr Below Refuge Near Tuthill Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06449000
19 cfs 3.09 ft · 57°F 2,991 ft Little White
Belle Fourche R At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06428500
19 cfs 3.50 ft · 54°F 3,103 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche R Near Fruitdale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436000
19 cfs 1.84 ft · 55°F 2,940 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Keya Paha R Near Keyapaha Sd, Sd
5 days ago · USGS 06464100
17 cfs 4.34 ft · 54°F 2,220 ft Keya Paha
Little Spearfish Creek Near Lead, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06430850
17 cfs 4.76 ft · 48°F 5,053 ft Redwater
Split Rock Cr At Corson Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06482610
16 cfs 1.95 ft · 57°F 1,307 ft Lower Big Sioux
Skunk Cr At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481500
14 cfs 2.39 ft · 57°F 1,411 ft Lower Big Sioux
Beaver Cr Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06402500
12 cfs 4.62 ft · 56°F 3,161 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Little White R Near Martin Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06447500
11 cfs · · 57°F 3,069 ft Little White
Whetstone River Near Big Stone City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05291000
11 cfs 1.41 ft · 63°F 1,017 ft Upper Minnesota
Elm R At Westport Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471500
11 cfs 4.23 ft · 64°F 1,323 ft Elm
Little Minnesota River Near Peever, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05290000
10 cfs 9.91 ft · 64°F 1,015 ft Upper Minnesota
Castle Cr Below Deerfield Dam Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06410000
10 cfs 3.50 ft · 46°F 5,795 ft Rapid
Cleghorn Springs At Rapid City, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06412810
10 cfs 2.69 ft · 59°F 3,371 ft Rapid
Bear In The Lodge Cr Near Wanblee Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06446700
9 cfs 1.64 ft · 56°F 2,526 ft Middle White
Castle Cr Above Deerfield Res Near Hill City Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06409000
8 cfs 2.78 ft · 46°F 5,929 ft Rapid
Vermillion River Nr Vermillion Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479010
8 cfs 1.34 ft · 58°F 1,137 ft Vermillion
James R At Columbia Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471000
7 cfs 4.18 ft · 64°F 1,287 ft Upper James
Boxelder Cr Near Nemo Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06422500
6 cfs 1.31 ft · 50°F 4,334 ft Middle Cheyenne-Elk
East Fork Vermillion River Near Parker, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06478600
5 cfs 5.09 ft · 58°F 1,328 ft Vermillion
Whitewood Cr Above Whitewood, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436180
5 cfs · · 56°F 3,681 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Little Missouri R At Camp Crook Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06334500
4 cfs 1.84 ft · 54°F 3,102 ft Upper Little Missouri
Rhoads Fork Near Rochford Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06408700
4 cfs 3.73 ft · 46°F 5,981 ft Rapid
Flandreau Cr Above Flandreau Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06480650
4 cfs 4.37 ft · 56°F 1,571 ft Lower Big Sioux
French Cr Above Fairburn Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06403300
4 cfs · · 55°F 3,825 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Battle Cr At Hermosa Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06406000
3 cfs 2.56 ft · 56°F 3,284 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Murray Ditch Ab Headgate At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06429997
2 cfs 1.43 ft · 51°F 3,457 ft Redwater
Bois De Sioux River Near White Rock, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 05050000
2 cfs 3.45 ft · 61°F 968 ft Bois De Sioux
Big Sioux R Near Watertown Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479438
2 cfs 3.91 ft · 60°F 1,742 ft Upper Big Sioux
Firesteel Cr Near Mount Vernon Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06477500
2 cfs 2.36 ft · 60°F 1,304 ft Lower James
Battle Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06404000
1 cfs 3.37 ft · 56°F 3,815 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Bear Butte Creek Near Deadwood, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06437020
1 cfs 3.67 ft · 51°F 4,753 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Platte Creek Near Platte, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06452320
1 cfs 1.58 ft · 61°F 1,373 ft Fort Randall Reservoir
Whitewood Creek Near Whitewood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436190
1 cfs 5.41 ft · 58°F 3,173 ft Lower Belle Fourche
Big Sioux River Nr Florence Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479215
1 cfs 2.99 ft · 60°F 1,787 ft Upper Big Sioux
Grace Coolidge Cr Nr Game Lodge Nr Custer Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06404998
1 cfs 6.67 ft · 54°F 4,125 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Bad R Near Fort Pierre Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06441500
1 cfs 1.12 ft · 65°F 1,437 ft Bad
Big Sioux R At Watertown Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06479500
1 cfs 3.22 ft · 60°F 1,717 ft Upper Big Sioux
Skunk Cr Nr Chester Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06481480
0 cfs · · 57°F 1,563 ft Lower Big Sioux
Elk Cr Near Elm Springs Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06425500
0 cfs 3.48 ft · 54°F 2,322 ft Middle Cheyenne-Elk
Foot Creek Near Aberdeen, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06471800
0 cfs 3.91 ft · 64°F 1,329 ft Upper James
Horsehead Cr At Oelrichs Sd, Sd
7 days ago · USGS 06400875
0 cfs 1.73 ft · 57°F 3,315 ft Angostura Reservoir
Hat Cr Near Edgemont Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06400000
0 cfs 6.62 ft · 55°F 3,301 ft Hat
Battle Cr Below Hermosa Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06406500
0 cfs 1.85 ft · 55°F 2,810 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Spring Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06407500
0 cfs 3.45 ft · 55°F 3,898 ft Middle Cheyenne-Spring
Whitewood Cr Above Vale Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06436198
0 cfs · · 56°F 2,857 ft Lower Belle Fourche
North Fork Grand R Near White Butte Sd, Sd
3 days ago · USGS 06355500
0 cfs · · 50°F 2,318 ft North Fork Grand
Moreau R Near Whitehorse Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06360500
0 cfs · · 56°F 1,670 ft Lower Moreau
South Fork Bad R Near Cottonwood Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06440200
0 cfs 3.55 ft · 55°F 2,253 ft Bad
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Flow report FAQ

About South Dakota streamflow

What are river levels like in South Dakota right now?

As of September 25, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 73% of normal across 94 USGS streamgauges, and the White River Near White River is reporting the highest discharge at 1,400 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which South Dakota river is running highest right now?

As of September 25, 2026, the highest discharge in South Dakota is 1,400 cfs on the White River Near White River. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.

Are South Dakota rivers high or low right now?

Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means South Dakota rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.

Where does the South Dakota streamflow data come from?

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.

What is cfs?

Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.

What does Gauge Height mean?

The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").

How fresh is the South Dakota data?

USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.

Can I get a flow alert for a South Dakota gauge?

Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.

Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?

No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.