Whitewood Creek above Vale water level

Name: Whitewood Creek above Vale 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, Whitewood Creek, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.55ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level

What this means

Whitewood Creek above Vale is running far below normal at 0.55 ft.

A year ago it stood at 1.62 ft (−1.07 ft).

It has risen 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.38 ft and 0.55 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Same day last year: 1.62 ft−1.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.38 ft – 0.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.38 ft – 1.88 ft
Highest on record: 7.29 ftJune 5, 2008

Floating and fishing near Whitewood Creek above Vale

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.29 ft	June 5, 2008
2	5.72 ft	May 8, 1995
3	5.26 ft	October 11, 2013
4	5.17 ft	March 26, 2009
5	5.06 ft	May 5, 1993
6	4.87 ft	May 20, 2011
7	4.70 ft	June 18, 1998
8	4.60 ft	May 24, 2011
9	4.56 ft	June 1, 2013
10	4.32 ft	September 24, 1986

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 82° 35° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 68° 44° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 22 mph

20 Tue 79° 49° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 71° 51° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 83° 56° 0.05 in Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 80° 46° 0.33 in, 33% Wind 30 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on Whitewood Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whitewood Creek at DeadwoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	3.42 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Whitewood Creek above WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	0.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Whitewood Creek near WhitewoodRiver gauge, Whitewood Creek	5.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Belle Fourche ReservoirReservoir	2,956.96 ft	Normal		13 mi
Belle Fourche River near FruitdaleRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	1.58 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Inlet Canal above Belle Fourche ReservoirRiver gauge, Inlet Canal	4.92 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	14 mi
Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Road at SturgisRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Bear Butte Creek near GalenaRiver gauge, Bear Butte Creek	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	16 mi
Redwater River above Belle FourcheRiver gauge, Redwater River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Belle Fourche River near SturgisRiver gauge, Belle Fourche River	2.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

How does Whitewood Creek above Vale compare with last year?

It is 1.07 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.62 ft.

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 Whitewood Creek above Vale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM MDT, the water level was 0.55 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Whitewood Creek above Vale rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Whitewood Creek above Vale normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Whitewood Creek above Vale?

The highest level on record is 7.29 ft on June 5, 2008.

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:06436198 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.61750, -103.48028 (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	0.55 ft	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Whitewood Creek above Vale (usgs:06436198). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/whitewood-creek-above-vale

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