Horsehead Creek at Oelrichs, SD
River level and flood forecast · Fall River County
Normal1.7 ftas of Mon 1 PM
The river is 14.3 ft below flood stage (16 ft).
Flow: 0 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 | 20 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 16 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (May 25, 2010) | 16.31 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 20 ftMajor Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along the creek with inundation of structures and roads.
- 18 ftModerate Flood Stage. Some inundation of structures and roads near the creek are possible. Water will cover northbound 385 north of Oelrichs at Horsehead Creek and will begin to approach southbound lanes of Highway 385.
- 17 ftWater may begin to approach the northbound lane of Highway 385, north of Oelrichs, about 150 feet south of Horsehead Creek. It typically takes 6 to 10 hours for the water to reach this location.
- 16 ftMinor Flood Stage; Minor flooding of agricultural land. Water may begin to fill the medians along 385 where Horsehead Creek crosses Highway 385 north of Oelrichs. It will typically take 6 to 10 hours for the water to reach this crossing.
- 10 ftBankfull and Action Stage. Water backs up south of Hwy 18. Nuisance flooding of agricultural land.
Highest crests on record
- 16.31 ft — May 25, 2010
- 15.06 ft — May 29, 2019
- 14.42 ft — April 22, 2000
- 13.52 ft — June 3, 1997
- 11.06 ft — March 10, 2014
Recent crests: 6.85 ft (April 9, 2024) · 4.4 ft (May 15, 2023) · 2.37 ft (May 9, 2022) · 3.13 ft (March 22, 2021) · 4.41 ft (March 5, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (HHDS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.