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Moreau River at Promise water level

River gauge, Moreau River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

6.41ft Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

5 10 15 20 Minor floodstage 21.00 ft

History

History
681012ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20681012ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
681012ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20681012ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
5101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage5101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Moreau River at Promise: the gauge reads 6.41 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.05 ft below the median of 7.46 ft for mid-October, based on 6 years of readings. It is 14.59 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 6.83 ft (−0.42 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.73 ft – 6.58 ft.

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

Compared with 6 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
7.46 ft1.05 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
6.83 ft – 11.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (6 years of records)
Same day last year
6.83 ft−0.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.73 ft – 6.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.90 ft – 11.39 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 21.00 ft.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft
Structures south of Promise Rd are in danger of flooding.
30.00 ft
The bridge at the gauge location on BIA-7 is overtopped.
28.00 ft
Water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gauge location on BIA-7.
26.00 ft
The nearby higher ridges begin to be overtopped which may begin to threaten some lower lying roads.
24.00 ft
Most of the floodplain is underwater.
21.00 ft
The higher banks are overtopped and water enters the broader floodplain. Flooding possible along Promise Rd at bridge on Virgin Creek south of Moreau River.
18.00 ft
The lowest banks are overtopped and some ditches begin to fill.
6.41 ft
Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 40° – Wind 16 mph
19 Mon 65° 36° – Wind 13 mph
20 Tue 73° 47° – Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 71° 52° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 77° 51° – Wind 17 mph
23 Fri 75° 60° 0.11 in, 27% Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 57° 41° 0.34 in, 44% Wind 26 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:06 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Moreau River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Moreau River near FaithRiver gauge, Moreau River 0.63 ft Below flood stage +0.03 ft 76 mi
Moreau River near WhitehorseRiver gauge, Moreau River 1.72 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Grand River at Little EagleRiver gauge, Grand River 2.62 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 24 mi
Oak Creek near Rattlesnake Butte near WakpalaRiver gauge, Oak Creek 5.20 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 27 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Moreau River at Promise compare with last year?

It is 0.42 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.83 ft.

What is flood stage for the Moreau River at Promise?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 14.59 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Moreau River at Promise in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.83 ft and 11.57 ft, based on 6 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 Moreau River at Promise today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 AM CDT, the water level was 6.41 ft. Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Moreau River at Promise rising or falling?

Up 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.68 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Moreau River at Promise normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 6 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:06361000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
45.34312, -100.61339 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 6.41 ft 2026-10-20 10:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Moreau River at Promise (usgs:06361000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/moreau-river-at-promise

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.