Rapid Creek above Water Reclamation Facility near Rapid City, SD
River level and flood forecast · Pennington County
Normal3.4 ftas of Mon 2:15 PM
The river is 5.6 ft below flood stage (9 ft).
Flow: 25 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 | 13 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 11 ft |
| Flood stage | 9 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (May 28, 2019) | 11.23 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 13 ftMajor Flood Stage. Homes and property in the Green Valley area would be flooded. Several roads in Rapid Valley would be inundated.
- 11 ftModerate Flood Stage. Water approaches Anderson Road and may begin to flood homes in the Green Valley area. Other roads in Rapid Valley may be inundated.
- 10 ftWater approaches Green Valley Drive near 53rd Street also known as Reservoir Road.
- 9 ftFlood Stage. Minor flooding of agricultural land along Rapid Creek begins. Water begins to fill lower areas along Rapid Creek near Reservoir Rd, Green Valley Drive, and also along Anderson Road.
- 8 ftAction stage. Water will begin to enter the lower portions of some yards along Rapid Creek.
Highest crests on record
- 11.23 ft — May 28, 2019
- 9.3 ft — July 22, 2018
- 8.24 ft — July 25, 2022
- 7.49 ft — June 5, 2020
- 7.15 ft — August 15, 2017
Recent crests: 6.99 ft (April 7, 2024) · 7.01 ft (May 29, 2023) · 8.24 ft (July 25, 2022) · 6.5 ft (May 24, 2021) · 7.49 ft (June 5, 2020)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamRapid Creek below Hawthorne Ditch at Rapid City, SD
- DownstreamRapid Creek near Farmingdale, SD
- Rapid Creek at Founders Park, SD
- Rapid Creek above Canyon Lake near Rapid City, SD
- South Canyon near Rapid City, SD
- Boxelder Creek near Rapid City, SD
- Rapid Creek above Victoria Creek near Rapid City, SD
- Spring Creek (SD) near Rockerville, SD
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (RCVS2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.