South Dakota River Levels & Streamflow
As of Oct 23, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 62% of normal across 93 USGS gauges — the highest is 481 cfs on the James R At Columbia Sd. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in South Dakota.
South Dakota river map
See South Dakota’s rivers on a live map
Every gauge, river and reservoir, one tap each:
- Rivers now — which are running high or low
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South Dakota river conditions today
Where rivers are running versus normal, what’s spiking and what’s coming — refreshed daily from USGS and NOAA.
Streamflow levels across South Dakota are currently 62% of normal, with the James R At Columbia Sd reporting the highest discharge in the state at 481 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.11 ft.
Meanwhile, the James River At Nd-Sd State Line is seeing a spike today — up 39% 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.
Active weather warnings for South Dakota
A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for northwestern South Dakota through Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM MDT, with critical fire weather conditions affecting the Northern Foothills, Butte County, and Black Hills regions. Southwest winds of 15-25 mph with gusts reaching 40 mph combined with extremely low humidity levels as low as 15 percent will create dangerous fire spread conditions. Residents in affected areas near the Wyoming border should avoid all outdoor burning and exercise extreme caution with any potential ignition sources. Any fires that develop will spread rapidly under these conditions. The warning affects Fire Weather Zones 318, 323, and 327, with the highest risk period from 11 AM to 11 PM Friday.
How South Dakota’s rivers compare to normal
Every gauge placed by its own percent of normal, and three years of the statewide trend.
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.
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 Oct 2023. The dotted line is normal.
799 daily readings from 85 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.
South Dakota flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
James R Near Stratford Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06472000 |
403 cfs | 9.26 ft | · | 60°F | 1,276 ft | Upper James |
|
James R Near Redfield Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06475000 |
361 cfs | 5.11 ft | · | 64°F | 1,264 ft | Middle James |
|
James R At Ashton Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06473000 |
361 cfs | 5.64 ft | · | 60°F | 1,271 ft | Middle James |
|
James R At Columbia Sd, Sd
22 hours ago · USGS 06471000 |
318 cfs | 7.89 ft | · | 60°F | 1,287 ft | Upper James |
|
James River At Nd-Sd State Line, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06470878 |
256 cfs | 88.19 ft | 32°F | 58°F | 1,290 ft | Upper James |
|
White R Near Oacoma Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06452000 |
171 cfs | 8.10 ft | · | 60°F | 1,394 ft | Lower White |
|
Big Sioux R At North Cliff Ave At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06482020 |
154 cfs | 5.05 ft | · | 63°F | 1,303 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Inlet Canal Above Belle Fourche Reservoir Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06434505 |
141 cfs | 4.91 ft | · | 51°F | 2,985 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06433000 |
136 cfs | 3.09 ft | · | 51°F | 3,018 ft | Redwater |
|
James R Near Scotland Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06478500 |
123 cfs | 4.13 ft | · | 62°F | 1,187 ft | Lower James |
|
James River Nr Yankton Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06478513 |
112 cfs | 3.36 ft | · | 61°F | 1,164 ft | Lower James |
|
Big Sioux R Near Dell Rapids Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06481000 |
110 cfs | 3.20 ft | · | 59°F | 1,464 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Little White R Below White River Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06450500 |
102 cfs | 1.93 ft | · | 61°F | 1,927 ft | Little White |
|
Little White R Near Rosebud Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06449500 |
98 cfs | 4.11 ft | · | 61°F | 2,305 ft | Little White |
|
James R At Huron Sd, Sd
22 hours ago · USGS 06476000 |
95 cfs | 9.07 ft | · | 62°F | 1,233 ft | Middle James |
|
Big Sioux River Near Brookings Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06480000 |
94 cfs | 2.24 ft | · | 59°F | 1,562 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Cheyenne River Near Wasta, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06423500 |
75 cfs | · | · | 56°F | 2,269 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
Big Sioux R At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06482000 |
71 cfs | 1.47 ft | · | 63°F | 1,395 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Cheyenne R Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06402600 |
67 cfs | 2.36 ft | · | 53°F | 2,820 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
White River Near White River, Sd
22 hours ago · USGS 06447450 |
65 cfs | 3.55 ft | · | 59°F | 1,775 ft | Middle White |
|
Cheyenne R Near Plainview Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06438500 |
64 cfs | 8.18 ft | 60°F | 56°F | 1,865 ft | Lower Cheyenne |
|
James R Near Forestburg Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06477000 |
61 cfs | 4.53 ft | · | 61°F | 1,214 ft | Lower James |
|
Big Sioux River Near Bruce, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06479770 |
55 cfs | 3.13 ft | · | 58°F | 1,630 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Keya Paha R At Wewela Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06464500 |
54 cfs | 2.26 ft | · | 61°F | 2,053 ft | Keya Paha |
|
Cheyenne River At Redshirt, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06403700 |
50 cfs | 9.48 ft | 60°F | 54°F | 2,670 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Grand R At Little Eagle Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06357800 |
50 cfs | 2.62 ft | · | 57°F | 1,640 ft | Grand |
|
Rapid Cr Near Farmingdale Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06421500 |
38 cfs | 5.68 ft | · | 53°F | 2,711 ft | Rapid |
|
Belle Fourche R Near Sturgis Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06437000 |
38 cfs | 2.48 ft | · | 54°F | 2,546 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Big Sioux R Near Castlewood Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06479525 |
36 cfs | 4.92 ft | · | 58°F | 1,682 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Spearfish Cr At Spearfish Sd, Sd
23 hours ago · USGS 06431500 |
36 cfs | 4.81 ft | · | 59°F | 3,669 ft | Redwater |
|
Redwater Cr At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06430500 |
34 cfs | 2.98 ft | · | 54°F | 3,424 ft | Redwater |
|
Rapid Cr Above Pactola Res At Silver City, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06410500 |
32 cfs | 4.74 ft | · | 46°F | 4,628 ft | Rapid |
|
White R Near Oglala Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06446000 |
28 cfs | 6.91 ft | · | 56°F | 2,880 ft | Upper White |
|
Little White R Near Vetal Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06449100 |
25 cfs | 3.23 ft | 42°F | 59°F | 2,789 ft | Little White |
|
Rapid Cr At Rapid City Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06414000 |
25 cfs | 3.22 ft | · | 57°F | 3,246 ft | Rapid |
|
Fall R At Hot Springs Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06402000 |
25 cfs | · | · | 54°F | 3,430 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Keya Paha R Near Keyapaha Sd, Sd
1 day ago · USGS 06464100 |
24 cfs | 4.47 ft | · | 48°F | 2,220 ft | Keya Paha |
|
White R Near Interior Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06446500 |
24 cfs | 3.61 ft | · | 58°F | 2,300 ft | Middle White |
|
Vermillion River Nr Vermillion Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06479010 |
23 cfs | 1.59 ft | · | 64°F | 1,137 ft | Vermillion |
|
White R Near Kadoka Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06447000 |
23 cfs | 3.86 ft | · | 58°F | 2,131 ft | Middle White |
|
Split Rock Cr At Corson Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06482610 |
18 cfs | 1.83 ft | · | 62°F | 1,307 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Rapid Cr Below Pactola Dam Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06411500 |
17 cfs | 7.22 ft | · | 49°F | 4,420 ft | Rapid |
|
Belle Fourche R At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06428500 |
15 cfs | 3.43 ft | · | 54°F | 3,103 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Belle Fourche River Near Elm Springs, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06438000 |
15 cfs | 3.77 ft | · | 55°F | 2,180 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Little White R Near Martin Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06447500 |
14 cfs | · | · | 57°F | 3,069 ft | Little White |
|
Little Spearfish Creek Near Lead, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06430850 |
12 cfs | 4.75 ft | · | 53°F | 5,053 ft | Redwater |
|
White R Nr Ne-Sd State Line, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06445685 |
12 cfs | 3.79 ft | · | 58°F | 3,041 ft | Upper White |
|
Flandreau Cr Above Flandreau Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06480650 |
10 cfs | 4.29 ft | · | 58°F | 1,571 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
South Fork Grand R Near Cash Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06356500 |
10 cfs | · | · | 52°F | 2,425 ft | South Fork Grand |
|
Cleghorn Springs At Rapid City, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06412810 |
9 cfs | 2.63 ft | · | 57°F | 3,371 ft | Rapid |
|
Cheyenne R At Edgemont Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06395000 |
8 cfs | 1.19 ft | · | 52°F | 3,422 ft | Angostura Reservoir |
|
Castle Cr Above Deerfield Res Near Hill City Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06409000 |
8 cfs | 2.76 ft | · | 54°F | 5,929 ft | Rapid |
|
Belle Fourche R Near Fruitdale Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06436000 |
8 cfs | 1.57 ft | · | 51°F | 2,940 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Whetstone River Near Big Stone City, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 05291000 |
8 cfs | 1.31 ft | · | 57°F | 1,017 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Rapid Cr Above Canyon Lake Near Rapid City Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06412500 |
7 cfs | 1.55 ft | 35°F | 57°F | 3,416 ft | Rapid |
|
Bear In The Lodge Cr Near Wanblee Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06446700 |
7 cfs | 1.60 ft | · | 60°F | 2,526 ft | Middle White |
|
Bad R Near Fort Pierre Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06441500 |
7 cfs | 1.06 ft | · | 61°F | 1,437 ft | Bad |
|
Moreau R Near Faith Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06359500 |
7 cfs | · | · | 53°F | 2,248 ft | Lower Moreau |
|
Little Minnesota River Near Peever, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 05290000 |
6 cfs | 9.79 ft | · | 57°F | 1,015 ft | Upper Minnesota |
|
Elm R At Westport Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06471500 |
6 cfs | 4.13 ft | · | 59°F | 1,323 ft | Elm |
|
Big Sioux R Near Watertown Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06479438 |
4 cfs | 3.82 ft | · | 59°F | 1,742 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Rhoads Fork Near Rochford Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06408700 |
4 cfs | 3.68 ft | · | 51°F | 5,981 ft | Rapid |
|
Boxelder Cr Near Nemo Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06422500 |
3 cfs | 1.15 ft | · | 49°F | 4,334 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
Skunk Cr At Sioux Falls Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06481500 |
3 cfs | 2.21 ft | · | 63°F | 1,411 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Whitewood Cr Above Whitewood, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06436180 |
3 cfs | · | · | 56°F | 3,681 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Battle Cr At Hermosa Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06406000 |
3 cfs | 2.59 ft | · | 54°F | 3,284 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
East Fork Vermillion River Near Parker, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06478600 |
3 cfs | 5.94 ft | · | 60°F | 1,328 ft | Vermillion |
|
Beaver Cr Near Buffalo Gap Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06402500 |
3 cfs | 3.55 ft | · | 55°F | 3,161 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Little Missouri R At Camp Crook Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06334500 |
2 cfs | 1.72 ft | · | 52°F | 3,102 ft | Upper Little Missouri |
|
Lake Cr Below Refuge Near Tuthill Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06449000 |
2 cfs | 2.52 ft | · | 58°F | 2,991 ft | Little White |
|
Bois De Sioux River Near White Rock, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 05050000 |
2 cfs | 3.46 ft | · | 57°F | 968 ft | Bois De Sioux |
|
Big Sioux R At Watertown Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06479500 |
2 cfs | 3.15 ft | · | 59°F | 1,717 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
|
Moreau R Near Whitehorse Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06360500 |
2 cfs | 1.64 ft | · | 62°F | 1,670 ft | Lower Moreau |
|
Whitewood Creek Near Whitewood Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06436190 |
1 cfs | 5.48 ft | · | 55°F | 3,173 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
French Cr Above Fairburn Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06403300 |
1 cfs | · | · | 55°F | 3,825 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Black Pipe Creek Nr Belvidere, Sd
22 hours ago · USGS 06447230 |
1 cfs | 2.27 ft | · | 59°F | 2,055 ft | Middle White |
|
Platte Creek Near Platte, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06452320 |
1 cfs | 1.62 ft | · | 61°F | 1,373 ft | Fort Randall Reservoir |
|
Grace Coolidge Cr Nr Game Lodge Nr Custer Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06404998 |
1 cfs | 6.74 ft | · | 55°F | 4,125 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Bear Butte Creek Near Deadwood, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06437020 |
1 cfs | 3.59 ft | · | 53°F | 4,753 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Battle Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06404000 |
0 cfs | 3.34 ft | · | 59°F | 3,815 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Elk Cr Near Elm Springs Sd, Sd
4 days ago · USGS 06425500 |
0 cfs | 3.48 ft | · | 41°F | 2,322 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Elk |
|
Skunk Cr Nr Chester Sd, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06481480 |
0 cfs | · | · | 59°F | 1,563 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Foot Creek Near Aberdeen, Sd
11 hours ago · USGS 06471800 |
0 cfs | 4.15 ft | · | 59°F | 1,329 ft | Upper James |
|
Firesteel Cr Near Mount Vernon Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06477500 |
0 cfs | 2.44 ft | · | 61°F | 1,304 ft | Lower James |
|
Horsehead Cr At Oelrichs Sd, Sd
4 days ago · USGS 06400875 |
0 cfs | 1.73 ft | · | 41°F | 3,315 ft | Angostura Reservoir |
|
Hat Cr Near Edgemont Sd, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06400000 |
0 cfs | 6.59 ft | · | 56°F | 3,301 ft | Hat |
|
Battle Cr Below Hermosa Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06406500 |
0 cfs | 1.84 ft | · | 53°F | 2,810 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Spring Cr Near Keystone Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06407500 |
0 cfs | 3.32 ft | · | 60°F | 3,898 ft | Middle Cheyenne-Spring |
|
Whitewood Cr Above Vale Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06436198 |
0 cfs | · | · | 53°F | 2,857 ft | Lower Belle Fourche |
|
Murray Ditch Ab Headgate At Wy-Sd State Line, Sd
13 hours ago · USGS 06429997 |
0 cfs | · | · | 54°F | 3,457 ft | Redwater |
|
North Fork Grand R Near White Butte Sd, Sd
4 days ago · USGS 06355500 |
0 cfs | · | · | 39°F | 2,318 ft | North Fork Grand |
|
South Fork Bad R Near Cottonwood Sd, Sd
5 days ago · USGS 06440200 |
0 cfs | 3.47 ft | · | 42°F | 2,253 ft | Bad |
|
Big Sioux River Nr Florence Sd, Sd
12 hours ago · USGS 06479215 |
0 cfs | 2.68 ft | · | 59°F | 1,787 ft | Upper Big Sioux |
About South Dakota streamflow
What are river levels like in South Dakota right now?
As of October 23, 2026, South Dakota rivers are running at 62% of normal across 93 USGS streamgauges, and the James R At Columbia Sd is reporting the highest discharge at 481 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which South Dakota river is running highest right now?
As of October 23, 2026, the highest discharge in South Dakota is 481 cfs on the James R At Columbia Sd. 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.