Battle Creek above Keystone water level

Name: Battle Creek above Keystone water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Battle Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.69ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Battle Creek above Keystone is at 3.69 ft, in the normal range.

It is 2.81 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.69 ft and 3.70 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.69 ft – 3.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.69 ft – 5.08 ft
Highest on record: 14.50 ftJune 9, 1972

Floating and fishing near Battle Creek above Keystone

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 2.81 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.50 ft: Record flood level reached during the 1972 Flood which destroyed much of Keystone, SD.
8.50 ft: Major Flood Stage. Low spots along Old Hill City Road are covered with water.
7.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Flooding of property along the creek. Access to property across the creek may be impacted.
6.50 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Localized flooding of property along creek.
5.50 ft: Action Stage. Culvert 1 mile downstream fills with water backing up behind the culvert. Water begins to flow along the ditch next to Old Hill City Road.
4.50 ft: Water begins to flow in the creek.
3.69 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.50 ft	June 9, 1972
2	8.48 ft	June 18, 1999
3	6.59 ft	May 24, 2010
4	6.15 ft	May 30, 2011
5	6.12 ft	July 17, 2018
6	6.09 ft	May 24, 2015
7	6.07 ft	October 11, 2013
8	6.05 ft	May 24, 2008
9	6.00 ft	June 5, 1991
10	5.95 ft	May 24, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 80° 50° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 63° 43° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 60° 39° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 72° 46° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 71° 51° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 71° 43° 0.48 in, 38% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on Battle Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Battle Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek	3.34 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Battle Creek at HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Battle Creek below HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek	1.84 ft	Low	±0	30 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grizzly Bear Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Grizzly Bear Creek	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.3 mi
Sunday Gulch below Johnson Canyon near Hill CityRiver gauge, Sunday Gulch	4.45 ft	Highest on record	±0	6 mi
Reno Gulch near Hill CityRiver gauge, Reno Gulch	3.65 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
Spring Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Spring Creek	3.32 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Spring Creek at Oreville, near Hill CityRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Victoria Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Rapid Creek at Big Bend near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek	6.73 ft	Normal	±0	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Battle Creek above Keystone?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 2.81 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Battle Creek above Keystone today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM MDT, the water level was 3.69 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Battle Creek above Keystone rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Battle Creek above Keystone normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Battle Creek above Keystone?

The highest level on record is 14.50 ft on June 9, 1972.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06403810 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.90504, -103.46339 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.69 ft	2026-10-21 02:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Battle Creek above Keystone (usgs:06403810). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/battle-creek-above-keystone

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer