Boxelder Creek near Nemo water level

Name: Boxelder Creek near Nemo 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, Boxelder Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

1.15ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM MDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 3.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Boxelder Creek near Nemo is running far below normal at 1.15 ft.

The median for late October is 1.56 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.41 ft below typical. It is 6.85 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.79 ft, a difference of −0.64 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 1.14 ft and 1.40 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: 1.56 ft0.41 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.32 ft – 1.87 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.79 ft−0.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.14 ft – 1.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.02 ft – 2.09 ft
Highest on record: 6.29 ftJuly 5, 2019

Floating and fishing near Boxelder Creek near Nemo

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, 6.85 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.39 ft: Record flooding which occurred in 1972. Extensive damage including buildings and bridges washed away.
12.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Box Elder Creek with extensive inundation of structures and roads.
10.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Some inundation of structures and roads near Box Elder Creek are possible.
8.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Minor flooding of low lying areas along Box Elder Creek.
6.00 ft: Action Stage. Low land flooding along the creek begins.
1.15 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.29 ft	July 5, 2019
2	6.19 ft	June 15, 1976
3	5.31 ft	May 30, 1996
4	5.25 ft	May 9, 1995
5	4.88 ft	June 6, 2015
6	4.70 ft	July 7, 2008
7	4.57 ft	June 18, 1998
8	4.55 ft	July 30, 1975
9	4.44 ft	June 2, 1997
10	4.04 ft	June 6, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 65° 46° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 75° 49° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 77° 56° – Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 59° 40° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 43° 30° 0.45 in, 24% Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 33° 29° 0.02 in, 25% Wind 7 mph

27 Tue 51° 29° 0.04 in Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Boxelder Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Boxelder Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	29.70 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rapid Creek above Johnson Siding below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.3 mi
Rapid Creek below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	7.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	4.9 mi
Pactola ReservoirReservoir	4,558.75 ft	Very low		5.3 mi
Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Wild Irishman Gulch	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	6 mi
Rapid Creek at Big Bend near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
South Canyon near Rapid CityRiver gauge, South Canyon	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Rapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	5.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Boxelder Creek near Nemo higher than last year?

No, it is 0.64 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.79 ft.

What is flood stage for Boxelder Creek near Nemo?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 6.85 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Boxelder Creek near Nemo in late October?

The median for late October is 1.56 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.32 ft and 1.87 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 Boxelder Creek near Nemo today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM MDT, the water level was 1.15 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Boxelder Creek near Nemo rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Boxelder Creek near Nemo 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:06422500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.14435, -103.45407 (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	1.15 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	3.5 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Boxelder Creek near Nemo (usgs:06422500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/boxelder-creek-near-nemo

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