Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, SD

Meade County, South Dakota · USGS gauge 06438000 · NWS EMSS2 · Belle Fourche River flood status · South Dakota river levels

Nearby: river levels near Elm Springs

Is Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, SD flooding right now?

Belle Fourche River near Elm Springs, SD measured 4.55 ft on 2026-09-11 01:00:00 UTC. That observation was 14.4 ft below its 19 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
4.55 ft
as of 66 min ago
Streamflow
125 cfs
data refreshed 4 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 19 ft, with major flooding at 24 ft. The highest crest on record was 25.8 ft on Thu, May 5, 1927.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 14 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action17 ft12.4 ft below
Minor flood19 ft14.4 ft below
Moderate flood22 ft17.4 ft below
Major flood24 ft19.4 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
25.8 ft1927-05-05
24 ft1933-05-25
23.73 ft2008-06-06
23.72 ft1995-05-10
22.22 ft1982-05-21

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Elk Creek near Elm Springs, SD9.0 miMeade County
Cheyenne River near Wasta, SD21.5 miPennington County
Boxelder Creek at 151St Ave near Box Elder, SD29.2 miPennington County
Boxelder Creek Trib4 at Liberty Blvd at Box Elder, SD29.8 miPennington County
Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, SD29.8 miMeade County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast