South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir water level

Name: South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir water level (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)
Creator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
License: https://www.usbr.gov/main/disclaim.html

Reservoir, Wyoming, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

5,393.33ft Up 0.19 ft over the last 7 days

Measured Oct 18, 2026 (2 days ago)

Water stored: 2,541 acre‑ft

History

What this means

South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir is above normal at 5,393.33 ft.

That puts it 0.41 ft above the median of 5,392.92 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 5,393.57 ft (−0.24 ft).

It has risen 0.19 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 5,392.81 ft and 5,393.33 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5,392.92 ft0.41 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5,390.30 ft – 5,393.60 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 5,393.57 ft−0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5,392.81 ft – 5,393.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5,392.38 ft – 5,394.16 ft

On the water at South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir

With the level a bit above normal, expect a shoreline slightly higher up than usual and the odd floating branch.

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 48° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 68° 42° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 68° 50° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 60° 46° 0.09 in, 53% Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 59° 39° 0.03 in, 53% Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 43° 32° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 40° 29° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 67%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Shoshone River above Buffalo Bill ReservoirRiver gauge, South Fork Shoshone River	4.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	2.8 mi
Buffalo Bill ReservoirReservoir	5,358.31 ft	Normal		4.3 mi
North Fork Shoshone River at WapitiRiver gauge, North Fork Shoshone River	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Clarks Fork Yellowstone River near Belfry MTRiver gauge, Clarks Fork Yellowstone River	0.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	40 mi
Shoshone River near LovellRiver gauge, Shoshone River	4.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	47 mi
Soda Butte Cr at Park Bndry at Silver GateRiver gauge, Soda Butte Cr	8.0 cfs	Low	±0	55 mi

Questions and answers

How does South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 0.24 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5,393.57 ft.

What is a normal level for South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5,392.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5,390.30 ft and 5,393.60 ft, based on 32 years of records.

Is South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir really 5,393.33 ft deep?

No. 5,393.33 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 South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir today?

On Oct 18, 2026, the surface elevation was 5,393.33 ft. Up 0.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir rising or falling?

Up 0.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:271 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.44250, -109.21250 (WGS84)
Update interval: once a day
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	5,393.33 ft	2026-10-18 06:00	Provisional
Water stored	2,541 acre‑ft	2026-10-18 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: South Fork Dike at Buffalo Bill Reservoir (usbr:271). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/south-fork-dike-at-buffalo-bill-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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer