Bear Butte Creek near Galena water level

Name: Bear Butte Creek near Galena 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

Below flood stage

Water level

3.51ft Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM MDT (31 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Bear Butte Creek near Galena reads 3.51 ft, a normal level.

It is 2.99 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 2.99 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.39 ft and 3.52 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: 3.39 ft – 3.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.30 ft – 3.55 ft
Highest on record: 7.86 ftJuly 4, 2019

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 6.50 ft, still 2.99 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Major flood stage. Extensive flooding along Bear Butte Creek with inundation of structures and roads in Boulder Canyon and Sturgis.
8.00 ft: Moderate flood stage. Some inundation of structures and roads along Bear Butte Creek in Boulder Canyon and Sturgis.
6.50 ft: Flood stage. Flooding affects secondary roads near Sturgis. The low water crossing a quarter mile upstream from the gage floods and access to homes is cutoff.
5.70 ft: Access roads off of Boulder Canyon Road can become impassable.
5.50 ft: Action stage. Flooding of low lying areas along the creek.
4.00 ft: Water begins to flow in the creek through Sturgis.
3.51 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.86 ft	July 4, 2019
2	6.08 ft	June 6, 2008
3	5.77 ft	June 2, 2007
4	5.72 ft	June 18, 1998
5	5.18 ft	May 21, 2013
6	5.04 ft	May 29, 2015
7	4.97 ft	May 7, 2014
8	4.87 ft	April 25, 2000
9	4.71 ft	April 16, 2024
10	4.61 ft	April 29, 2006

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 79° 54° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 64° 50° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 64° 46° – Wind 22 mph

20 Tue 74° 50° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 67° 51° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 80° 56° 0.00 in Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 76° 39° 0.37 in, 39% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Butte Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Butte Creek near DeadwoodRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.59 ft	Very low	±0	4.9 mi
Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at SturgisRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.30 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	3.9 mi
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Spearfish Creek at SpearfishRiver gauge, Spearfish Creek	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Whitewood Creek above ValeRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	16 mi
Annie Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Annie Creek	3.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Little Spearfish Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Little Spearfish Creek	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Boxelder Creek near NemoRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	1.15 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Bear Butte Creek near Galena?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 2.99 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 Bear Butte Creek near Galena today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM MDT, the water level was 3.51 ft. Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Butte Creek near Galena rising or falling?

Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bear Butte Creek near Galena normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bear Butte Creek near Galena?

The highest level on record is 7.86 ft on July 4, 2019.

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:06437200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.39639, -103.58222 (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	3.51 ft	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Butte Creek near Galena (usgs:06437200). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/bear-butte-creek-near-galena

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