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Deerfield Reservoir water level

Reservoir, South Dakota, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

5,902.32ft Down 0.73 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
13,358 acre‑ft
5,903 5,905 5,908

History

History
5,9025,9045,906ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 175,9025,9045,906ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 17
5,9025,9045,906ftSep 20Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 175,9025,9045,906ftSep 20Oct 3Oct 17
5,9025,9045,9065,908ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20265,9025,9045,9065,908ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
5,9025,9045,9065,908ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20265,9025,9045,9065,908ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
5,9035,9055,908ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20265,9035,9055,908ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Deerfield Reservoir is below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 5,902.32 ft.

That puts it 3.60 ft below the median of 5,905.92 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 5,905.83 ft (−3.51 ft).

It has dropped 0.73 ft over the past week. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. In the last month it has stayed between 5,902.32 ft and 5,904.21 ft.

Many reservoirs are drawn down through summer and fall; most of the refill comes later, with winter rain or spring snowmelt.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5,905.92 ft3.60 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
5,901.39 ft – 5,907.28 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
5,905.83 ft−3.51 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5,902.32 ft – 5,904.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5,902.32 ft – 5,907.04 ft

On the water at Deerfield Reservoir

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 55%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Castle Creek below Deerfield DamRiver gauge, Castle Creek 3.51 ft Below flood stage ±0 0.2 mi
Castle Creek above Deerfield Reservoir near Hill CityRiver gauge, Castle Creek 2.76 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 2.4 mi
Rhoads Fork near RochfordRiver gauge, Rhoads Fork 3.6 cfs Very low −0.1 cfs 8 mi
Rapid Creek above Pactola Reservoir at Silver CityRiver gauge, Rapid Creek 4.76 ft Below flood stage ±0 11 mi
Reno Gulch near Hill CityRiver gauge, Reno Gulch 3.65 ft Below flood stage ±0 12 mi
Spring Creek at Oreville, near Hill CityRiver gauge, Spring Creek 4.04 ft Below flood stage ±0 14 mi
Sunday Gulch below Johnson Canyon near Hill CityRiver gauge, Sunday Gulch 4.45 ft Highest on record ±0 15 mi
Pactola ReservoirReservoir 4,558.65 ft Very low 15 mi

Questions and answers

How does Deerfield Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 3.51 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5,905.83 ft.

What is a normal level for Deerfield Reservoir in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5,905.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5,901.39 ft and 5,907.28 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Deerfield Reservoir really 5,902.32 ft deep?

No. 5,902.32 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Deerfield Reservoir today?

On Oct 17, 2026, the surface elevation was 5,902.32 ft. Down 0.73 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Deerfield Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 0.73 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Deerfield Reservoir normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publishes a new reading once a day. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Station code
usbr:315 (Agency page)
Coordinates
44.02810, -103.78580 (WGS84)
Update interval
once a day
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 5,902.32 ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 13,358 acre‑ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Deerfield Reservoir (usbr:315). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/deerfield-reservoir

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.