French Creek above Fairburn water level

Name: French Creek above Fairburn 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, French Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.62ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 1.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level

What this means

Low water at French Creek above Fairburn: the gauge reads 0.62 ft, below normal for mid-October.

On the same day last year the reading was 0.71 ft, a difference of −0.09 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.57 ft – 0.73 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Same day last year: 0.71 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.57 ft – 0.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.44 ft – 1.49 ft
Highest on record: 4.08 ftMay 8, 1995

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	4.08 ft	May 8, 1995
2	4.07 ft	August 3, 2019
3	3.35 ft	August 8, 1999
4	3.16 ft	May 27, 2015
5	2.84 ft	May 20, 2011
6	2.79 ft	June 19, 1998
7	2.75 ft	May 25, 2010
8	2.73 ft	March 7, 1987
9	2.71 ft	June 4, 1991
10	2.62 ft	October 12, 2013

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.

18 Sun 63° 46° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 59° 40° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 74° 48° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 68° 50° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 75° 51° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 78° 51° 0.26 in, 46% Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 51° 37° 0.04 in, 46% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek	6.72 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	3.0 mi
Battle Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek	3.34 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	11 mi
Battle Creek at HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	11 mi
Grizzly Bear Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Grizzly Bear Creek	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Battle Creek above KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek	3.69 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Sunday Gulch below Johnson Canyon near Hill CityRiver gauge, Sunday Gulch	4.45 ft	Highest on record	±0	15 mi
Spring Creek at Oreville, near Hill CityRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Beaver Creek near Buffalo GapRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	4.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

Is French Creek above Fairburn higher than last year?

No, it is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.71 ft.

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 French Creek above Fairburn today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT, the water level was 0.62 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is French Creek above Fairburn rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of French Creek above Fairburn normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at French Creek above Fairburn?

The highest level on record is 4.08 ft on May 8, 1995.

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:06403300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.71722, -103.36750 (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	0.62 ft	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Flow	1.4 cfs	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: French Creek above Fairburn (usgs:06403300). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/french-creek-above-fairburn

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