Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood water level

Name: Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood 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, Bear Butte Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.59ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 0.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood is running far below normal at 3.59 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.73 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.14 ft below typical. It is 3.91 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.74 ft, a difference of −0.15 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 3.58 ft and 3.69 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: 3.73 ft0.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.60 ft – 3.81 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.74 ft−0.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.58 ft – 3.69 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.58 ft – 4.22 ft
Highest on record: 8.34 ftMay 8, 1995

Floating and fishing near Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood

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

Flood stage here is 7.50 ft, 3.91 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding around Galena with inundation of structures and roads.
8.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Flooding along creek upstream from gage in and around Galena. Some inundation of structures and roads near the creek are possible.
8.00 ft: Access cutoff to residents who drive through the creek.
7.50 ft: Flood stage. Culverts overflow and cause flooding in Galena.
6.00 ft: Action Stage. Flooding of low lying areas along the creek.
3.59 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.34 ft	May 8, 1995
2	7.70 ft	June 5, 1991
3	7.58 ft	July 4, 2019
4	7.34 ft	April 6, 1997
5	6.09 ft	June 1, 2007
6	6.06 ft	March 11, 2010
7	5.99 ft	May 30, 1996
8	5.85 ft	May 8, 2008
9	5.83 ft	May 21, 2013
10	5.79 ft	June 18, 1998

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 76° 52° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 60° 44° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 61° 42° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 74° 48° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 64° 48° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 73° 51° 0.00 in Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 71° 34° 0.35 in, 42% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Butte Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Butte Creek near GalenaRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	4.9 mi
Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at SturgisRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.4 mi
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Annie Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Annie Creek	3.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Little Spearfish Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Little Spearfish Creek	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Spearfish Creek at SpearfishRiver gauge, Spearfish Creek	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Boxelder Creek near NemoRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	1.15 ft	Very low	±0	16 mi
Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi

Questions and answers

Is Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood higher than last year?

No, it is 0.15 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.74 ft.

What is flood stage for Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 3.91 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.60 ft and 3.81 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 Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT, the water level was 3.59 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood normal?

Very low for mid-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:06437020 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.33556, -103.63500 (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	3.59 ft	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional
Flow	0.5 cfs	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood (usgs:06437020). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/bear-butte-creek-near-deadwood

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