Belle Fourche River river
Total streamflow across the Belle Fourche River was last observed at 143 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 283 acre-ft of water today; about 12% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,205 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-05-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 34,019 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Belle Fourche River Near Elm Springs reporting a streamflow rate of 138 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Belle Fourche River, with a gauge stage of 4.6 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Belle Fourche River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,101 ft, the Belle Fourche River Below Moorcroft.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Belle Fourche River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Belle Fourche River
All 3 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Belle Fourche River Below Moorcroft
WY
USGS 06426500
|
5 | 1.44 | -8.3 | 16% | 1 | 15,300 | 4,101 |
|
Belle Fourche River Near Alva
WY
USGS 06428200
|
14 | 1.33 | · | · | · | · | 3,590 |
|
Belle Fourche River Near Elm Springs
SD
USGS 06438000
|
138 | 4.60 | 0.0 | 17% | 13 | 47,500 | 2,180 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Belle Fourche River
The Belle Fourche River is a tributary of the Cheyenne River, and it is located in the western region of South Dakota. The river is approximately 290 miles long, and it flows through Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. Historically, the Belle Fourche River was an important source of water for Native American tribes, and later, it played a significant role in the growth of the cattle industry in the area. Today, the Belle Fourche River is widely used for recreational purposes, such as fishing, boating, and camping. The Angostura Dam, located on the river in South Dakota, is a significant hydroelectric power source and provides water for irrigation and recreational purposes. Other dams on the river include the Orman Dam, the Keyhole Dam, and the Deer Creek Dam.
Track the Belle Fourche River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Belle Fourche River
Where does the data for the Belle Fourche River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.