Little White River near Vetal water level

Name: Little White River near Vetal 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, Little White River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 PM MDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 21.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Little White River near Vetal is at 3.18 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.82 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.44 ft, a difference of −0.26 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.15 ft and 3.51 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: 3.44 ft−0.26 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.15 ft – 3.51 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.01 ft – 4.33 ft
Highest on record: 12.53 ftMarch 24, 2019

Floating and fishing near Little White River near Vetal

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 7.82 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: The left bank will overflow.
9.69 ft: The right bank will overflow and affect agricultural land.
3.18 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.53 ft	March 24, 2019
2	12.53 ft	May 16, 1991
3	9.59 ft	June 5, 1997
4	8.94 ft	February 22, 1997
5	8.76 ft	March 8, 1994
6	8.07 ft	March 14, 1978
7	8.07 ft	March 16, 2011
8	7.75 ft	June 13, 1966
9	7.34 ft	May 30, 2015
10	7.12 ft	March 24, 1960

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.45 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 66° 37° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 62° 37° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 74° 40° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 70° 54° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 80° 56° – Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 82° 62° 0.02 in, 45% Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 66° 45° 0.00 in, 45% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 05:54 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Little White River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little White River near MartinRiver gauge, Little White River	0.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	21 mi
Little White River near RosebudRiver gauge, Little White River	4.24 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	23 mi
Little White River below White RiverRiver gauge, Little White River	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Creek below Refuge near TuthillRiver gauge, Lake Creek	2.9 cfs	Normal	+0.8 cfs	14 mi
Antelope Creek near MissionRiver gauge, Antelope Creek	1.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	30 mi
Merritt ReservoirReservoir	2,942.82 ft	High		37 mi
Niobrara R at Borman Bridge near ValentineRiver gauge, Niobrara R	18.75 ft	No reference yet	±0	40 mi
Rock Creek near Hidden TimberRiver gauge, Rock Creek	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	40 mi
Bear in The Lodge Creek near WanbleeRiver gauge, Bear in The Lodge Creek	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	±0	41 mi
White River near InteriorRiver gauge, White River	3.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	54 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little White River near Vetal higher than last year?

No, it is 0.26 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.44 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little White River near Vetal?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.82 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 Little White River near Vetal today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 PM MDT, the water level was 3.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little White River near Vetal rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Little White River near Vetal normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little White River near Vetal?

The highest level on record is 12.53 ft on March 24, 2019.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06449100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.10069, -101.23181 (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	3.18 ft	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Flow	21.0 cfs	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little White River near Vetal (usgs:06449100). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/little-white-river-near-vetal

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