Skunk Creek near Hartford water level

Name: Skunk Creek near Hartford 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, Skunk Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT (57 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Skunk Creek near Hartford, where the gauge shows 3.57 ft.

It is 6.43 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.55 ft – 3.72 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: 3.55 ft – 3.72 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.38 ft – 4.62 ft
Highest on record: 15.08 ftMarch 14, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.50 ft: The bridge at the gaging location on Skunk Creek Ave is overtopped as is the bridge on 258th Ave north of the gauge.
18.50 ft: The lowest portions of 258th St west of the creek begin to flood
18.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gauge on Skunk Creek Ave.
17.00 ft: Skunk Creek Ave north of the gauge location begins to flood
16.00 ft: The highest right banks are overtopped with major flooding of pasture and crop land.
13.50 ft: The bridge on 256th St is overtopped.
12.00 ft: 254th St begins to flood.
11.00 ft: The higher left banks are overtopped, flooding significant amounts of pasture land.
10.00 ft: The lower banks on both sides of Skunk Creek are overtopped, flooding low lying pasture land. The lowest portions of 256th begin to flood.
8.50 ft: Water begins to overtop the lowest left banks near the gauge location
3.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.08 ft	March 14, 2019
2	14.16 ft	September 12, 2019
3	12.65 ft	June 21, 2024
4	12.28 ft	March 16, 2011
5	11.83 ft	March 13, 2010
6	11.59 ft	April 7, 2006
7	11.41 ft	May 29, 2004
8	11.24 ft	March 11, 2007
9	10.07 ft	June 18, 2014
10	9.19 ft	April 9, 2023

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 43° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 72° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 74° 46° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 76° 60° 0.03 in Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 68° 52° 0.24 in, 29% Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 51° 35° 0.33 in, 39% Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 42° 33° 0.29 in, 39% Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Skunk Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Skunk Creek near ChesterRiver gauge, Skunk Creek	0.75 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Skunk Creek at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Skunk Creek	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Willow Creek near CrooksRiver gauge, Willow Creek	3.70 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	3.7 mi
Big Sioux River below Diversion at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	3.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Silver Creek at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Silver Creek	0.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Big Sioux River at North Cliff Ave at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	5.05 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	11 mi
Big Sioux River at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	1.48 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Big Sioux River near Dell RapidsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Split Rock Creek at CorsonRiver gauge, Split Rock Creek	1.83 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
East Fork Vermillion River near ParkerRiver gauge, East Fork Vermillion River	5.94 ft	Below flood stage	−4.97 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Skunk Creek near Hartford?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 6.43 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 Skunk Creek near Hartford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Skunk Creek near Hartford rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Skunk Creek near Hartford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Skunk Creek near Hartford?

The highest level on record is 15.08 ft on March 14, 2019.

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:06481493 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.63614, -96.90008 (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	3.57 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skunk Creek near Hartford (usgs:06481493). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/skunk-creek-near-hartford

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