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Big Sioux River near Bruce, SD

River level and flood forecast · Brookings County

Normal3.2 ftas of Mon 3:45 PM

The river is 4.8 ft below flood stage (8 ft).

Flow: 72 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

24681012TueWedThuFriSatSunMonAction 7 ftFlood 8 ftModerate 10 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

Major flood stage13 ft
Moderate flood stage10 ft
Flood stage8 ft
Action stage7 ft
Record crest (March 28, 2011)12.16 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 15 ftThe bridge on 466th Ave is overtopped.
  • 14 ftWater overtops 466th Avenue near the gage. The bridges on 202nd St and 207th St are also overtopped.
  • 13 ftWater reaches the bottom of the bridge on 203rd street northwest of Bruce. Water will begin to surround multiple structures and homes near the gauge location.
  • 11.5 ftThe higher banks on the left side of the river are overtopped, flooding agricultural lands for a width of 1/4 to 1/3 mile. 203rd and 207th streets both begins to flood. The water also reaches the low steel of the bridge at the gaging location on 466th Avenue.
  • 10.5 ft198th St, 199th St, 202nd St all begin flooding. 465th Ave between 203rd and 204th St also floods.
  • 9.5 ftThe right bank overflows, flooding agricultural lands for as much as 1/4 mile.
  • 8 ftThe lower banks on the left side of the river overflow.

Highest crests on record

  1. 12.16 ft — March 28, 2011
  2. 10.88 ft — March 29, 2019
  3. 10.75 ft — March 24, 2009
  4. 10.6 ft — April 9, 2001
  5. 10.52 ft — April 4, 2011

Recent crests: 10.5 ft (July 1, 2025) · 7.85 ft (June 24, 2024) · 10.17 ft (April 13, 2023) · 10.17 ft (April 11, 2023) · 8.24 ft (May 14, 2022)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Brookings CountyNWS gauge pageUSGS gauge 06479770

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BRCS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.