Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line water level

Name: Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line 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, Belle Fourche River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.44ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 15.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line reads 3.44 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.56 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.81 ft (−0.37 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.37 ft and 3.64 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

Same day last year: 3.81 ft−0.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.37 ft – 3.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.79 ft – 5.07 ft
Highest on record: 16.33 ftMay 10, 1995

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 15.00 ft, still 11.56 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along the Belle Fourche River with inundation of structures and roads in Belle Fourche.
16.20 ft: Houses along the Belle Fourche River in Butte County may begin to flood.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding of agricultural land. Some inundation of structures and roads along the Belle Fourche River are possible.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding of low-lying areas.
13.00 ft: Action stage. Flooding of low lying areas along the river.
3.44 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.33 ft	May 10, 1995
2	16.06 ft	May 23, 2011
3	15.98 ft	June 6, 2008
4	15.74 ft	March 7, 2014
5	15.59 ft	June 18, 1962
6	15.58 ft	March 14, 1996
7	14.66 ft	May 22, 2019
8	14.62 ft	June 2, 2013
9	14.33 ft	March 22, 1947
10	14.22 ft	March 5, 2009

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 83° 39° – Wind 24 mph

18 Sun 68° 44° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 67° 39° – Wind 20 mph

20 Tue 78° 51° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 70° 51° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 81° 55° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 76° 41° 0.12 in, 34% Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Belle Fourche River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Belle Fourche River below MoorcroftRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	1.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	53 mi
Belle Fourche River near FruitdaleRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Belle Fourche River near SturgisRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	48 mi
Belle Fourche River near Elm SpringsRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	3.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	78 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Redwater River above Belle FourcheRiver gauge, Redwater River	3.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Murray Ditch above Headgate at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Murray Ditch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
Redwater Creek at Wy-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Redwater Creek	2.98 ft	Very low	±0	12 mi
Inlet Canal above Belle Fourche ReservoirRiver gauge, Inlet Canal	4.91 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Belle Fourche ReservoirReservoir	2,956.96 ft	Normal		19 mi
Spearfish Creek at SpearfishRiver gauge, Spearfish Creek	4.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	21 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Little Spearfish Creek near LeadRiver gauge, Little Spearfish Creek	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line compare with last year?

It is 0.37 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.81 ft.

What is flood stage for the Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.56 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 Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM MDT, the water level was 3.44 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line?

The highest level on record is 16.33 ft on May 10, 1995.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06428500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.74889, -104.05111 (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	3.44 ft	2026-10-20 17:15	Provisional
Flow	15.7 cfs	2026-10-20 17:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/6053?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Belle Fourche River at Wy-Sd State Line (usgs:06428500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/belle-fourche-river-at-wy-sd-state-line

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