Rapid Creek near Farmingdale water level

Name: Rapid Creek near Farmingdale 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

5.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 39.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Rapid Creek near Farmingdale is at 5.65 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.35 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.96 ft, a difference of −0.31 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.55 ft and 6.16 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: 5.96 ft−0.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.55 ft – 6.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.00 ft – 6.89 ft
Highest on record: 12.69 ftMay 24, 2010

Floating and fishing near Rapid Creek near Farmingdale

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 5.35 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.20 ft: Top of bridge.
12.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Record flooding, greater than 1972 flood.
11.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage.
11.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Flooding of agricultural land and water will begin to overflow Farmingdale/Folsom Road.
10.00 ft: Bankfull. Right bank subject to overflow.
9.00 ft: Action Stage. Water begins to flood low-lying areas along the creek.
5.65 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.69 ft	May 24, 2010
2	12.60 ft	June 18, 2015
3	12.52 ft	May 29, 2019
4	11.85 ft	June 10, 1972
5	11.43 ft	June 24, 2018
6	10.77 ft	May 27, 1996
7	10.76 ft	October 14, 2013
8	10.41 ft	May 26, 1997
9	10.33 ft	June 15, 1967
10	10.26 ft	May 31, 2011

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 77° 42° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 67° 45° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 80° 47° – Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 84° 61° – Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 66° 47° – Wind 24 mph

25 Sun 47° 35° 0.17 in Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 39° 32° 0.06 in Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 05:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 75%

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	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	±0	37 mi
Rapid Creek below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	7.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	33 mi
Rapid Creek above Johnson Siding below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	31 mi
Rapid Creek at Big Bend near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Rapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	5.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	24 mi
Rapid Creek at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	3.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Rapid Creek below Hawthorn Ditch at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	9.37 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Rapid Creek above Wrf near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	3.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cheyenne River near ScenicRiver gauge, Cheyenne River	6.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Battle Creek below HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek	1.84 ft	Low	±0	15 mi
Cheyenne River at Red ShirtRiver gauge, Cheyenne River	9.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Battle Creek at HermosaRiver gauge, Battle Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Cleghorn Springs at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Cleghorn Springs	8.2 cfs	Very low	−0.4 cfs	23 mi
Cheyenne River near WastaRiver gauge, Cheyenne River	0.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi

Questions and answers

Is Rapid Creek near Farmingdale higher than last year?

No, it is 0.31 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.96 ft.

What is flood stage for Rapid Creek near Farmingdale?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.35 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 near Farmingdale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT, the water level was 5.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rapid Creek near Farmingdale rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rapid Creek near Farmingdale normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rapid Creek near Farmingdale?

The highest level on record is 12.69 ft on May 24, 2010.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06421500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.94211, -102.85347 (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	5.65 ft	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional
Flow	39.0 cfs	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rapid Creek near Farmingdale (usgs:06421500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/rapid-creek-near-farmingdale

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