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Big Sioux River near Jefferson

Highest listed crest 44.50 ftFlood stage 31.0 ft11 crests since 2016

The Big Sioux River near Jefferson crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2016 to 2025. The highest, 44.50 ft on June 24, 2024, was major flooding, 13.50 feet above flood stage. 15 other gauges on the Big Sioux River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
44.50 ft
June 24, 2024; 132,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
31.0 ft
Major flooding from 40.0 ft
Crests at major
2
70th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2024
44.50 ft, major flooding
Location
Plymouth County
Near Sioux City (11.1 mi), South Sioux City (12.5 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Big Sioux River near Jefferson
Action stage28.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)31.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.02Sep 18, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage40.02Jun 24, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 2016 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Sioux River near Jefferson, 2016 to 2025 1020304050ft Flood stage 31.0 ftMajor 40.0 ft May 4, 2016: 24.04 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2017: 20.92 ft, below flood stage; 7,940 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2018: 38.40 ft, moderate flooding; 38,300 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 40.42 ft, major flooding; 54,700 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2019: 36.74 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 2020: 24.55 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2021: 14.48 ft, below flood stage; 3,590 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2022: 17.57 ft, below flood stage; 6,430 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2023: 22.39 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 44.50 ft, major flooding; 132,000 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2025: 15.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,690 cubic feet per second Highest, 44.50 ft, Jun 24, 2024 20202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Sioux River near Jefferson 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 1 2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 17.78 ft on Jun 10, 2015.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Big Sioux River near Jefferson
1Jun 24, 202444.50+13.50Major132,000
2Mar 17, 201940.42+9.42Major54,700
3Jun 26, 201838.40+7.40Moderate38,300
4Sep 18, 201936.74+5.74Moderate—
5Apr 1, 202024.55−6.45Below flood stage12,100
6May 4, 201624.04−6.96Below flood stage11,000
7Apr 15, 202322.39−8.61Below flood stage11,200
8May 24, 201720.92−10.08Below flood stage7,940
9Jun 2, 202217.57−13.43Below flood stage6,430
10Jul 8, 202515.40−15.60Below flood stage4,690
11Aug 31, 202114.48−16.52Below flood stage3,590

The worst floods along the Big Sioux River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Big Sioux River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 24, 2024: 44.50 ft here, major flooding

  • BrandonSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,312.32 ft · Major
  • CantonSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,248.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • RichlandIA · Jun 23, 2024 · 1,128.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • Sioux CitySD · Jun 23, 2024 · 44.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • HawardenSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 39.92 ft · Major · its highest
  • AkronIA · Jun 22, 2024 · 27.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • EganSD · Jun 23, 2024 · 1,519.36 ft · Moderate
  • TrentSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 1,497.33 ft · Moderate
  • Sioux Falls N. Cliff AvenueSD · Jun 23, 2024 · 22.62 ft · Moderate
  • Sioux Falls Western AvenueSD · Jun 22, 2024 · 15.44 ft · Moderate

March 17, 2019: 40.42 ft here, major flooding

  • EganSD · Mar 23, 2019 · 1,522.48 ft · Major
  • TrentSD · Mar 24, 2019 · 1,500.00 ft · Major
  • Dell RapidsSD · Mar 24, 2019 · 1,487.53 ft · Major
  • RichlandIA · Mar 16, 2019 · 1,124.50 ft · Major
  • HawardenSD · Mar 15, 2019 · 35.20 ft · Major
  • AkronIA · Mar 16, 2019 · 23.94 ft · Major
  • Sioux Falls Western AvenueSD · Mar 14, 2019 · 16.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • Dell RapidsSD · Mar 24, 2019 · 15.69 ft · Major
  • FlandreauSD · Mar 23, 2019 · 1,543.53 ft · Moderate
  • BrandonSD · Mar 15, 2019 · 1,310.85 ft · Moderate

June 26, 2018: 38.40 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RichlandIA · Jun 24, 2018 · 1,124.40 ft · Major
  • HawardenSD · Jun 22, 2018 · 34.00 ft · Major
  • AkronIA · Jun 23, 2018 · 23.45 ft · Major
  • CantonSD · Jun 22, 2018 · 1,242.20 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Big Sioux River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Big Sioux River
CantonSD1,235.01,248.35 ft, Jun 22, 20243
Dell RapidsSD1,481.01,490.00 ft, Sep 13, 20192
FlandreauSD1,540.01,545.29 ft, Sep 13, 20191
HawardenSD20.539.92 ft, Jun 22, 20244
AkronIA16.027.35 ft, Jun 22, 202424
FairviewSD1,202.01,213.14 ft, Sep 14, 20190
Lake KampeskaSD21.022.40 ft, Mar 15, 20100
Lake Poinsett Inlet/OutletSD1,654.01,657.60 ft, Apr 5, 20112
Sioux CitySD32.044.90 ft, Jun 23, 20241
Sioux Falls I-90SD12.018.91 ft, Sep 14, 20191
Sioux Falls N. Cliff AvenueSD16.026.08 ft, Sep 14, 20190
Sioux Falls Western AvenueSD8.016.90 ft, Mar 14, 20194
TrentSD1,495.01,501.42 ft, Sep 13, 20192
Watertown Broadway AvenueSD10.513.67 ft, Apr 6, 19971
Watertown Sioux Conifer RoadSD9.011.18 ft, Apr 13, 20230
WatertownSD11.013.13 ft, Apr 2, 19975
BrandonSD1,304.01,313.53 ft, Sep 14, 20192
BrookingsSD9.014.77 ft, Apr 9, 19690
BruceSD8.012.16 ft, Mar 28, 20110
CastlewoodSD9.013.19 ft, Apr 7, 19970
Dell RapidsSD12.016.70 ft, Sep 13, 201910
EganSD1,516.51,524.20 ft, Sep 12, 20192
EstellineSD1,644.01,647.03 ft, Jun 30, 20250
FlorenceSD8.09.70 ft, Apr 13, 20236
Jefferson this gaugeIA31.044.50 ft, Jun 24, 20242
RichlandIA1,117.01,128.70 ft, Jun 23, 20245
WatertownSD10.012.33 ft, Apr 7, 20012

Other gauges in Plymouth County

Flood gauges in Plymouth County
Akron16.027.35 ft, Jun 22, 202424
Richland1,117.01,128.70 ft, Jun 23, 20245
James26.032.39 ft, Jun 23, 20240
Le Mars20.027.97 ft, Jun 23, 20243
Merrill12.020.19 ft, Jun 23, 202413
Hinton28.032.68 ft, Jun 17, 20141
Millnerville8.014.54 ft, Jun 17, 20143
Oyens1,266.01,266.94 ft, Jun 22, 20240

Plymouth County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BSJS2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.