Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam water level

Name: Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam 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, Rapid Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 17.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam reads 7.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.78 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 7.46 ft, a difference of −0.24 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.22 ft and 7.42 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: 7.46 ft−0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.22 ft – 7.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.22 ft – 7.84 ft
Highest on record: 9.00 ftMay 19, 1965

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 14.00 ft, still 6.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Rapid Creek with extensive inundation of structures and roads.
15.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Parking lot below the dam becomes flooded. Some inundation of structures and roads along Rapid Creek are possible.
14.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Minor flooding along the river.
12.00 ft: Water touches the bottom of the bridge downstream from Pactola Dam.
11.50 ft: Rapid Creek begins to overflow the lower banks near the creek.
7.22 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.00 ft	May 19, 1965
2	8.98 ft	May 29, 2015
3	8.93 ft	July 18, 2019
4	8.86 ft	June 7, 1996
5	8.85 ft	July 2, 1998
6	8.82 ft	June 11, 1997
7	8.82 ft	October 5, 1971
8	8.80 ft	June 21, 1999
9	8.80 ft	June 4, 2011
10	8.67 ft	May 15, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 81° 43° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 62° 42° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 61° 37° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 76° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 67° 49° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 73° 49° 0.01 in Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 73° 39° 0.40 in, 39% Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on Rapid Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	±0	4.9 mi
Rapid Creek above Johnson Siding below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	2.0 mi
Rapid Creek at Big Bend near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.6 mi
Rapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	5.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	7 mi
Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	1.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Rapid Creek at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	12 mi
Rapid Creek below Hawthorn Ditch at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	9.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Rapid Creek above Wrf near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	3.38 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	19 mi
Rapid Creek near FarmingdaleRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	5.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	33 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pactola ReservoirReservoir	4,558.75 ft	Very low		0.4 mi
Boxelder Creek near NemoRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	1.15 ft	Very low	±0	4.9 mi
Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Wild Irishman Gulch	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.8 mi
Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Victoria Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
South Canyon near Rapid CityRiver gauge, South Canyon	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam higher than last year?

No, it is 0.24 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.46 ft.

What is flood stage for Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 6.78 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 Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT, the water level was 7.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam?

The highest level on record is 9.00 ft on May 19, 1965.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06411500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.07667, -103.48167 (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	7.22 ft	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Flow	17.4 cfs	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam (usgs:06411500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/rapid-creek-below-pactola-dam

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