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Battle Creek below Hermosa water level

River gauge, Battle Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for late October

Water level

1.84ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.0 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 12.00 ft Minor floodstage 9.00 ft

History

History
2.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
2.02.53.0ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 212.02.53.0ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
2.02.53.0ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20262.02.53.0ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
2.02.53.0ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20262.02.53.0ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Battle Creek below Hermosa is running below normal at 1.84 ft.

The median for late October is 2.49 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.65 ft below typical. It is 7.16 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.42 ft, a difference of −0.58 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 1.83 ft and 1.86 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
2.49 ft0.65 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.83 ft – 3.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year
2.42 ft−0.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.83 ft – 1.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.84 ft – 3.05 ft
Highest on record
12.00 ftJune 9, 1972

Floating and fishing near Battle Creek below 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 9.00 ft, 7.16 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft
Water reaches the bottom of Highway Bridge.
13.00 ft
Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Battle Creek with extensive inundation of structures and roads.
11.00 ft
Moderate Flood Stage. Significant flooding of agricultural land. Some inundation of structures and roads near Battle Creek are possible.
9.00 ft
Minor Flood Stage. Flooding of agricultural land.
7.50 ft
Action Stage. Lowland flooding along the river begins.
1.84 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
112.00 ftJune 9, 1972
210.05 ftMay 29, 2019
39.66 ftAugust 18, 2007
49.42 ftMay 25, 2010
59.30 ftMay 9, 1995
69.20 ftMay 26, 2015
79.04 ftMay 10, 1991
88.81 ftMay 27, 1997
98.75 ftMarch 14, 2011
108.59 ftJune 20, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 82° 40° – Wind 17 mph
18 Sun 70° 50° – Wind 22 mph
19 Mon 63° 41° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 76° 49° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 72° 55° – Wind 13 mph
22 Thu 79° 56° 0.09 in Wind 17 mph
23 Fri 82° 49° 0.46 in, 39% Wind 27 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 75%

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 30 mi
Battle Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek 3.34 ft Low +0.01 ft 24 mi
Battle Creek at HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek 2.59 ft Very low ±0 16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cheyenne River at Red ShirtRiver gauge, Cheyenne River 9.50 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 3.7 mi
Rapid Creek near FarmingdaleRiver gauge, Rapid Creek 5.65 ft Below flood stage ±0 15 mi
Cheyenne River near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Cheyenne River 2.33 ft Below flood stage ±0 18 mi
Cheyenne River near ScenicRiver gauge, Cheyenne River 6.20 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 18 mi
Rapid Creek above Wrf near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek 3.40 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 23 mi
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek 6.73 ft Normal ±0 23 mi
French Creek above FairburnRiver gauge, French Creek 1.4 cfs Very low ±0 23 mi
Beaver Creek near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Beaver Creek 4.03 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 27 mi

Questions and answers

Is Battle Creek below Hermosa higher than last year?

No, it is 0.58 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.42 ft.

What is flood stage for Battle Creek below Hermosa?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.16 ft below it.

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

The median for late October is 2.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.83 ft and 3.01 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 below Hermosa today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:30 AM MDT, the water level was 1.84 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Battle Creek below Hermosa rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Battle Creek below Hermosa normal?

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:06406500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.72544, -102.90566 (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 1.84 ft 2026-10-21 07:30 Provisional
Flow 0.0 cfs 2026-10-21 07:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Battle Creek below Hermosa (usgs:06406500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/battle-creek-below-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.