West Fork Vermillion River near Parker water level

Name: West Fork Vermillion River near Parker 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, West Fork Vermillion River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.38ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT (36 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at West Fork Vermillion River near Parker, where the gauge shows 1.38 ft.

That puts it 0.17 ft above the median of 1.21 ft for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. It is 7.62 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.28 ft – 1.48 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.21 ft0.17 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.72 ft – 2.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.28 ft – 1.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.52 ft – 1.90 ft
Highest on record: 15.51 ftJune 22, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.50 ft: The bridge on Highway 44 just northwest of Parker is overtopped.
14.00 ft: The bridge on 274th Street at the gage is overtopped.
13.50 ft: The bridge on 275th over the West Fork of the river east of Parker is overtopped. Water reaches the bottom of the bridge on Highway 44 northwest of Parker.
13.00 ft: 275th St east of Parker is flooded. The bridges on 453rd and 454th north of Parker are both overtopped.
12.00 ft: Highway 44 begins to flood as do numerous county and township roads. Thunder Valley drag strip starts to see flooding of fields and grandstand areas.
11.50 ft: 456th Ave and 276th St east of Parker will be flooded.
11.00 ft: Major agricultural flooding begins, and a few county and township roads will begin to flood, including Thunder Valley Ave near the gage site.
10.00 ft: The lowest portion of 453rd and W 6th St on the north side of Parker may flood. Moderate flooding of agricultural land begins.
9.00 ft: Minor flooding of agricultural land begins and the lowest portion of 274th near the gage site may begin to flood.
8.00 ft: Some flooding of the lowest lying banks and ditches is possible.
1.38 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.51 ft	June 22, 2024
2	13.14 ft	May 8, 1993
3	13.08 ft	September 13, 2019
4	12.57 ft	June 16, 1984
5	12.35 ft	April 19, 1995
6	12.33 ft	March 28, 1962
7	12.32 ft	March 14, 2019
8	12.30 ft	April 4, 1969
9	12.29 ft	July 30, 2010
10	12.22 ft	April 23, 2001

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 43° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 72° 46° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 75° 49° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° 0.02 in Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 68° 53° 0.43 in, 30% Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 52° 36° 0.35 in, 36% Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 43° 34° 0.27 in, 38% Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:37 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Vermillion River near ParkerRiver gauge, East Fork Vermillion River	5.95 ft	Below flood stage	−4.96 ft	5.2 mi
Skunk Creek near HartfordRiver gauge, Skunk Creek	3.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Skunk Creek at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Skunk Creek	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Big Sioux River at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	1.49 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Willow Creek near CrooksRiver gauge, Willow Creek	3.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	24 mi
Big Sioux River below Diversion at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	3.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	25 mi
James River near ScotlandRiver gauge, James River	4.14 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	27 mi
Big Sioux River at North Cliff Ave at Sioux FallsRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	5.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the West Fork Vermillion River near Parker?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.62 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the West Fork Vermillion River near Parker in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.21 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.72 ft and 2.42 ft, based on 9 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 West Fork Vermillion River near Parker today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.38 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is West Fork Vermillion River near Parker rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Fork Vermillion River near Parker normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at West Fork Vermillion River near Parker?

The highest level on record is 15.51 ft on June 22, 2024.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06478690 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.41564, -97.20486 (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	1.38 ft	2026-10-21 00:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Fork Vermillion River near Parker (usgs:06478690). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/west-fork-vermillion-river-near-parker

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