Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid City, SD
River level and flood forecast · Pennington County
Normal1.7 ftas of Mon 2:25 PM
The river is 5.3 ft below flood stage (7 ft).
Flow: 13 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 | 11 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 9 ft |
| Flood stage | 7 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (June 2, 1997) | 5.46 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 11 ftMajor Flood Stage. Extensive flooding along Rapid Creek with inundation of structures and roads.
- 10 ftSmall park near the dog park on the westside of Rapid City will begin to flood.
- 9 ftModerate flood stage. Flooding continues upstream of Canyon Lake.
- 7 ftFlood Stage. Flooding will occur around the fish hatchery and Meadowbrook Golf Course.
- 6.5 ftLow land flooding will begin around the Dark Canyon area.
Highest crests on record
- 5.46 ft — June 2, 1997
- 5.26 ft — May 28, 2019
- 4.5 ft — June 1, 1996
- 4.4 ft — June 16, 1999
- 4.29 ft — May 21, 2011
Recent crests: 2.38 ft (October 12, 2023) · 3.49 ft (July 8, 2023) · 2.72 ft (June 7, 2022) · 2.79 ft (May 5, 2021) · 3.66 ft (May 3, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamRapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid City, SD
- DownstreamRapid Creek at Founders Park, SD
- South Canyon near Rapid City, SD
- Wild Irishman Gulch near Rapid City, SD
- Victoria Creek below Victoria Dam nr Rapid City, SD
- Rapid Creek at Big Bend, SD
- Spring Creek (SD) near Rockerville, SD
- Boxelder Creek near Rapid City, SD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (CYNS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.