Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon water level

Name: Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon 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, Firesteel Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.44ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 0.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon, where the gauge shows 2.44 ft.

It is 5.56 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.12 ft (+0.32 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.35 ft – 2.48 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: 2.12 ft+0.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.35 ft – 2.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.94 ft – 2.62 ft
Highest on record: 17.12 ftApril 3, 1969

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: The bridge on 398th Avenue at the gage is overtopped.
18.00 ft: 403rd Ave north of the bridge will begin to flood.
17.00 ft: The water reaches the bottom of the bridge on 398th Avenue at the gage and the low spot in the road south of the bridge will be flooded.
14.50 ft: The bridge on 405th Ave will be overtopped.
13.50 ft: The bridge on 404th Avenue is overtopped.
13.00 ft: The left bank overflows.
12.00 ft: The water reaches the bottom of the bridge on 404th Avenue.
8.00 ft: The right bank overflows.
7.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge 2 1/2 miles west of Storla.
2.44 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: 20 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.12 ft	April 3, 1969
2	16.94 ft	June 22, 2024
3	16.04 ft	July 31, 2010
4	15.56 ft	June 21, 1984
5	15.34 ft	April 4, 1969
6	15.16 ft	September 13, 2019
7	15.13 ft	March 28, 1960
8	14.99 ft	May 10, 1995
9	14.55 ft	March 22, 2019
10	14.48 ft	May 10, 1986

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 70° 41° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 71° 43° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 77° 54° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 80° 54° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 80° 62° 0.05 in, 28% Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 69° 50° 0.07 in, 28% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:55 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River near ForestburgRiver gauge, James River	4.53 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
James River near MitchellRiver gauge, James River	9.91 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	18 mi
James River at HuronRiver gauge, James River	9.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	41 mi
Platte Creek near PlatteRiver gauge, Platte Creek	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	48 mi
James River near ScotlandRiver gauge, James River	4.14 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	51 mi

Questions and answers

How does Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon compare with last year?

It is 0.32 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.12 ft.

What is flood stage for Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.56 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 Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.44 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon?

The highest level on record is 17.12 ft on April 3, 1969.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06477500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.77642, -98.24531 (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	2.44 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	0.1 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	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/12420?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Firesteel Creek near Mount Vernon (usgs:06477500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/firesteel-creek-near-mount-vernon

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