Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap, SD
River level and flood forecast · Custer County
Normal2.3 ftas of Mon 2:15 PM
The river is 10.7 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Flow: 63 cubic feet per second (USGS).
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 | 15 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (May 21, 1978) | 13.15 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 15 ftMajor flood stage. Extensive flooding along the creek with inundation of structures and roads.
- 14 ftModerate flood stage. Some inundation of structures and road near the creek are possible.
- 13 ftFlood stage. Out buildings along the river may be flooded.
- 12 ftAction stage. Water begins to approach out buildings near the gage.
- 10.5 ftWater covers the fence line along the river.
Highest crests on record
- 13.15 ft — May 21, 1978
- 12.92 ft — June 8, 2015
- 11.44 ft — May 25, 1971
- 10.72 ft — March 23, 2019
- 9.89 ft — July 21, 1969
Recent crests: 4.53 ft (April 7, 2024) · 5.65 ft (May 12, 2023) · 3.09 ft (June 5, 2022) · 3.13 ft (February 2, 2022) · 3.98 ft (May 24, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BFGS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.