Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City water level

Name: Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City 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, Wild Irishman Gulch, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.55ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:45 AM MDT (41 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City is at 3.55 ft, in the normal range.

It is 1.45 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.54 ft and 3.55 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: 3.54 ft – 3.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.54 ft – 3.56 ft
Highest on record: 4.94 ftAugust 17, 2007

Floating and fishing near Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City

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

Flood stage here is 5.00 ft, 1.45 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

6.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along the creek with inundation of structures and roads.
5.50 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Some inundation of structures and roads near the creek are possible.
5.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Minor flooding along the creek and downstream.
4.00 ft: Action Stage. Water begins to flow in Wild Irishman Gulch.
3.55 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	4.94 ft	August 17, 2007
2	4.31 ft	August 7, 2006
3	3.72 ft	May 17, 2023
4	3.68 ft	May 28, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 63° 44° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 79° 53° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 78° 56° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 60° 42° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 43° 34° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 44° 27° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Canyon near Rapid CityRiver gauge, South Canyon	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.1 mi
Rapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	5.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	2.5 mi
Rapid Creek at Big Bend near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.1 mi
Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	3.3 mi
Cleghorn Springs at Rapid CityRiver gauge, Cleghorn Springs	8.2 cfs	Very low	−0.4 cfs	3.7 mi
Rapid Creek above Johnson Siding below Pactola DamRiver gauge, Rapid Creek	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	3.8 mi
Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Victoria Creek	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.5 mi
Boxelder Creek near Rapid CityRiver gauge, Boxelder Creek	29.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 1.45 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 Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:45 AM MDT, the water level was 3.55 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City?

The highest level on record is 4.94 ft on August 17, 2007.

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:06412580 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.08111, -103.36500 (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	3.55 ft	2026-10-21 06:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City (usgs:06412580). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/wild-irishman-gulch-near-rapid-city

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