Bear Butte Creek at Avalanche Rd at Sturgis, SD
River level and flood forecast · Lawrence County
Normal1.8 ftas of Mon 1:55 PM
The river is 6.7 ft below flood stage (8.5 ft).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 5 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 12 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 10 ft |
| Flood stage | 8.5 ft |
| Action stage | 7.5 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 13.8 ftWater will overtop Avalanche Road.
- 12.7 ftMajor flooding continues. Water overflows both banks of Bear Butte Creek and reaches the bottom of the Avalanche Road bridge deck.
- 12 ftMajor flood stage. Extensive flooding possible along Bear Butte Creek.
- 10 ftModerate flood stage. Widespread flooding along Bear Butte Creek.
- 8.5 ftFlood stage. The right bank will begin to overflow near Avalanche Road. Minor flooding of Bear Butte Creek and flooding of the campground could begin.
- 7.5 ftAction stage. High water levels along Bear Butte Creek in Sturgis.
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamBear Butte Creek in Boulder Canyon, SD
- DownstreamBelle Fourche River near Elm Springs, SD
- Deadman Gulch at Sturgis, SD
- Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
- Bear Butte Creek near Galena, SD
- Whitewood Creek near Whitewood, SD
- Whitewood Creek at Deadwood, SD
- Whitewood Creek above Vale, SD
- Stagebarn Canyon Creek near Summerset, SD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (STUS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.