Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone water level

Name: Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone 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, Grizzly Bear Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.23ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:40 PM MDT (29 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone is at 2.23 ft, in the normal range.

It is 2.27 ft below the flood stage of 4.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.20 ft and 2.37 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: 2.20 ft – 2.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.03 ft – 2.51 ft
Highest on record: 6.32 ftOctober 11, 2013

Floating and fishing near Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 4.50 ft, 2.27 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

6.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Water will begin to flow down Main Street in Keystone.
5.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Water will begin to cover bridges and parking areas in Keystone.
5.00 ft: Minor flooding along the creek and downstream. Water begins to fill Grizzly Bear Creek in Keystone.
4.50 ft: Minor flood stage. The creek will overflow and cut off access to Grizzly Gulch Road. Overflows the lower banks downstream from gage.
4.00 ft: Action Stage and bankfull.
2.23 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.32 ft	October 11, 2013
2	5.78 ft	May 20, 2016
3	5.71 ft	May 28, 2019
4	5.68 ft	May 24, 2015
5	5.60 ft	July 11, 2001
6	5.42 ft	July 18, 2018
7	5.28 ft	May 20, 2011
8	5.27 ft	May 24, 2008
9	5.20 ft	May 24, 2010
10	5.12 ft	June 18, 1998

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 82° 55° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 64° 44° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 60° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 73° 47° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 70° 51° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 71° 52° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 72° 43° 0.48 in, 39% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Battle Creek above KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek	3.69 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.3 mi
Battle Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Battle Creek	3.34 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	5.1 mi
Sunday Gulch below Johnson Canyon near Hill CityRiver gauge, Sunday Gulch	4.45 ft	Highest on record	±0	7 mi
Spring Creek near KeystoneRiver gauge, Spring Creek	3.32 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Grace Coolidge Creek near Game Lodge near CusterRiver gauge, Grace Coolidge Creek	6.73 ft	Normal	±0	9 mi
Reno Gulch near Hill CityRiver gauge, Reno Gulch	3.65 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Spring Creek at Oreville, near Hill CityRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Victoria Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone?

The official flood stage is 4.50 ft. The level is currently 2.27 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 Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:40 PM MDT, the water level was 2.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone?

The highest level on record is 6.32 ft on October 11, 2013.

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:06403850 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.87806, -103.43722 (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	2.23 ft	2026-10-21 02:40	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/6871?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Grizzly Bear Creek near Keystone (usgs:06403850). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/grizzly-bear-creek-near-keystone

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