Elk Creek (SD) near Rapid City, SD
River level and flood forecast · Meade County
Normal4.1 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 5.9 ft below flood stage (10 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 | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 9 ft |
| Record crest (June 9, 1972) | 14.4 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14.4 ftJune 1972 crest as indicated by local residents.
- 14 ftMajor Flood Stage. Major flooding of pasture land. Access to homes may be cut off.
- 13 ftModerate Flood Stage. Erosion of banks may begin to occur. Moderate flooding of pasture land. Water may cover portions of Elk Creek Road and Antelope Creek Road.
- 12.5 ftWater may begin to cover Antelope Creek Road just north of Elk Creek. It typically takes the water at least 5 hours to get to this location downstream.
- 12 ftElk Creek Road just east of Elk Creek may begin to be covered with water. It can take 2-3 hours for the water to reach Elk Creek road downstream from the gage. Minor flooding of pasture land upstream and downstream from the gage will occur.
- 11 ftPossible flooding of yards and basements along Elk Creek in the Golden Valley Subdivision and along 220th street and Antelope Creek Road.
- 10 ftFlood Stage: Minor overflow of lower banks downstream from gage.
Highest crests on record
- 14.4 ft — June 9, 1972
- 12.77 ft — May 27, 1996
- 12.71 ft — October 11, 2013
- 12.29 ft — May 25, 2010
- 12.2 ft — March 17, 1978
Recent crests: 9 ft (April 16, 2024) · 6.48 ft (June 28, 2023) · 5.82 ft (June 15, 2022) · 5.88 ft (February 1, 2022) · 6.2 ft (January 15, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamElk Creek (SD) near Elm Springs, SD
- Boxelder Creek near Rapid City, SD
- Stagebarn Canyon Creek near Summerset, SD
- Rapid Creek at Founders Park, SD
- Rapid Creek below Hawthorne Ditch at Rapid City, SD
- South Canyon near Rapid City, SD
- Rapid Creek above Water Reclamation Facility near Rapid City, SD
- Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid City, SD
- Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City, SD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (EKCS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.