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Battle Creek at Hermosa water level

River gauge, Battle Creek, South Dakota, United States

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Right now

Very low for late October

Water level

2.59ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
3.1 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.72 ft Minor floodstage 8.00 ft

History

History
2.62.83.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.62.83.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
2.53.03.5ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 212.53.03.5ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
2.53.03.5ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20262.53.03.5ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
2.53.03.5ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20262.53.03.5ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Battle Creek at Hermosa is running far below normal at 2.59 ft.

The median for late October is 2.77 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.18 ft below typical. It is 5.41 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.67 ft, a difference of −0.08 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.52 ft and 2.59 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.77 ft0.18 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.67 ft – 3.15 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year
2.67 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.52 ft – 2.59 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.47 ft – 2.78 ft
Highest on record
17.72 ftJune 10, 1972

Floating and fishing near Battle Creek at Hermosa

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 5.41 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft
Flooding of Highway 79 begins.
13.00 ft
Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Battle Creek with inundation of structures and roads.
10.00 ft
Moderate Flood Stage. Flooding of secondary roads begins.
9.00 ft
Minor flooding of agricultural land.
8.00 ft
Minor Flood Stage. Minor flooding along lower areas of left bank.
7.00 ft
Action Stage. Low land flooding along the creek.
2.59 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
117.72 ftJune 10, 1972
216.14 ftAugust 17, 2007
314.00 ftMay 22, 1952
412.68 ftMay 8, 1995
512.52 ftMay 24, 2010
612.51 ftMay 28, 2019
712.44 ftJuly 13, 1962
812.16 ftJuly 28, 1957
911.40 ftJune 15, 1976
1011.04 ftMay 24, 2015

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 84° 43° – Wind 10 mph
18 Sun 68° 49° – Wind 19 mph
19 Mon 63° 42° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 75° 51° – Wind 17 mph
21 Wed 72° 54° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 76° 54° 0.02 in Wind 20 mph
23 Fri 80° 48° 0.44 in, 40% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Battle Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Battle Creek above KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek 3.69 ft Below flood stage ±0 14 mi
Battle Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek 3.34 ft Low ±0 8 mi
Battle Creek below HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek 1.84 ft Low +0.01 ft 16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek 6.73 ft Normal ±0 10 mi
French Creek above FairburnRiver gauge, French Creek 1.4 cfs Very low ±0 11 mi
Grizzly Bear Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Grizzly Bear Creek 2.23 ft Below flood stage ±0 13 mi
Spring Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Spring Creek 3.33 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 13 mi
Rapid Creek above Wrf near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek 3.40 ft Below flood stage +0.04 ft 15 mi
Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Victoria Creek 3.46 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 16 mi
Rapid Creek below Hawthorn Ditch at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek 9.36 ft Below flood stage ±0 17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Battle Creek at Hermosa higher than last year?

No, it is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.67 ft.

What is flood stage for Battle Creek at Hermosa?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.41 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Battle Creek at Hermosa in late October?

The median for late October is 2.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.67 ft and 3.15 ft, based on 9 years of records.

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 at Hermosa today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:00 AM MDT, the water level was 2.59 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Battle Creek at Hermosa rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Battle Creek at Hermosa normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06406000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.82806, -103.19556 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.59 ft 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional
Flow 3.1 cfs 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Battle Creek at Hermosa (usgs:06406000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/battle-creek-at-hermosa

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.