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Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line

Highest listed crest 16.33 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft86 crests since 1947

The Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line crested above flood stage 6 times among the 86 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2024. The highest, 16.33 ft on May 10, 1995, was moderate flooding, 1.33 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Belle Fourche River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.33 ft
May 10, 1995; 6,320 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 7, 2014
15.74 ft, minor flooding
Location
Butte County
South Dakota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line
Action stage13.09May 22, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.04Mar 7, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.02May 23, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

86 crests from 1947 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line, 1947 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Mar 22, 1947: 14.33 ft, action stageJun 23, 1947: 12.51 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 12.36 ft, below flood stageJun 18, 1948: 9.98 ft, below flood stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1949: 11.00 ft, below flood stageMar 25, 1949: 9.83 ft, below flood stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1950: 7.86 ft, below flood stageMay 10, 1950: 9.51 ft, below flood stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1951: 8.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1952: 9.69 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1953: 12.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,170 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1954: 5.19 ft, below flood stage; 389 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1955: 8.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1956: 7.12 ft, below flood stageMar 24, 1956: 5.69 ft, below flood stage; 509 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1957: 8.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1958: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 728 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1959: 7.15 ft, below flood stage; 927 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1960: 9.64 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1961: 3.75 ft, below flood stage; 140 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1962: 15.59 ft, minor flooding; 4,400 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1963: 7.75 ft, below flood stage; 985 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1964: 11.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1965: 11.11 ft, below flood stage; 2,270 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1966: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1967: 9.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1969: 9.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1970: 10.07 ft, below flood stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1971: 11.32 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1972: 11.22 ft, below flood stage; 2,330 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1973: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1975: 9.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1976: 12.76 ft, below flood stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1977: 7.88 ft, below flood stage; 980 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1978: 11.24 ft, below flood stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1979: 5.48 ft, below flood stage; 376 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1980: 5.78 ft, below flood stage; 431 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1981: 12.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1982: 14.17 ft, action stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1982: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1984: 13.99 ft, action stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1985: 6.86 ft, below flood stage; 615 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1986: 9.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1987: 8.12 ft, below flood stage; 792 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1988: 4.87 ft, below flood stage; 203 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1989: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 533 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1990: 11.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,980 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1991: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 877 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1992: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 107 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1993: 14.03 ft, action stage; 4,550 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1994: 11.01 ft, below flood stage; 800 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 16.33 ft, moderate flooding; 6,320 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1996: 15.58 ft, minor flooding; 5,050 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1997: 11.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1998: 8.66 ft, below flood stage; 908 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1999: 10.01 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2000: 5.52 ft, below flood stage; 285 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2001: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2002: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 708 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2003: 9.06 ft, below flood stage; 956 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2004: 9.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 5.80 ft, below flood stage; 327 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2006: 8.52 ft, below flood stage; 874 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2007: 8.74 ft, below flood stage; 928 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 15.98 ft, minor flooding; 5,190 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2009: 14.22 ft, action stageJun 15, 2009: 13.48 ft, action stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2010: 11.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2011: 16.06 ft, moderate flooding; 5,840 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2012: 8.62 ft, below flood stage; 845 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2013: 14.62 ft, action stage; 3,270 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2014: 15.74 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 2014: 10.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2015: 13.33 ft, action stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 2016: 5.95 ft, below flood stage; 283 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2017: 7.06 ft, below flood stageJun 6, 2017: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 486 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2018: 11.27 ft, below flood stageJun 28, 2018: 7.55 ft, below flood stage; 646 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 14.66 ft, action stage; 3,320 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2020: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2021: 5.29 ft, below flood stageJul 14, 2021: 4.81 ft, below flood stage; 160 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2022: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 423 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2023: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 795 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2024: 6.68 ft, below flood stage; 473 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.33 ft, May 10, 1995 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 86 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota State Line
1May 10, 199516.33+1.33Moderate6,320
2May 23, 201116.06+1.06Moderate5,840
3Jun 6, 200815.98+0.98Minor5,190
4Mar 7, 201415.74+0.74Minor—
5Jun 18, 196215.59+0.59Minor4,400
6Mar 14, 199615.58+0.58Minor5,050
7May 22, 201914.66−0.34Action3,320
8Jun 2, 201314.62−0.38Action3,270
9Mar 22, 194714.33−0.67Action—
10Mar 5, 200914.22−0.78Action—
11May 20, 198214.17−0.83Action3,750
12Jun 30, 199314.03−0.97Action4,550
13Jun 19, 198413.99−1.01Action3,570
14Jun 15, 200913.48−1.52Action2,550
15Jun 20, 201513.33−1.67Action2,290
16Jul 25, 198112.90−2.10Below flood stage3,180
17Jun 17, 197612.76−2.24Below flood stage2,910
18Aug 5, 195312.68−2.32Below flood stage3,170
19Jun 23, 194712.51−2.49Below flood stage3,620
20Mar 20, 194812.36−2.64Below flood stage—
21May 25, 199011.88−3.12Below flood stage1,980
22Mar 22, 199711.58−3.42Below flood stage1,840
23Jun 24, 196411.48−3.52Below flood stage2,410
24Jun 4, 197111.32−3.68Below flood stage2,400
25May 19, 201011.29−3.71Below flood stage1,660
26Mar 25, 201811.27−3.73Below flood stage—
27May 20, 197811.24−3.76Below flood stage2,100
28Jun 19, 197211.22−3.78Below flood stage2,330
29Apr 2, 196511.11−3.89Below flood stage2,270
30Mar 3, 199411.01−3.99Below flood stage800
31Mar 20, 194911.00−4.00Below flood stage—
32Mar 13, 201410.76−4.24Below flood stage1,310
33Mar 11, 202010.40−4.60Below flood stage1,220
34May 14, 197010.07−4.93Below flood stage1,810
35Jun 16, 199910.01−4.99Below flood stage1,260
36Jun 18, 19489.98−5.02Below flood stage2,280
37Mar 25, 19499.83−5.17Below flood stage2,180
38Mar 31, 19529.69−5.31Below flood stage2,030
39Mar 23, 19609.64−5.36Below flood stage1,660
40Jun 8, 19679.62−5.38Below flood stage1,650
41May 10, 19509.51−5.49Below flood stage2,000
42May 11, 19759.31−5.69Below flood stage1,480
43May 2, 19699.30−5.70Below flood stage1,490
44May 9, 19869.18−5.82Below flood stage1,300
45Jul 6, 20049.17−5.83Below flood stage1,040
46Jun 22, 19669.16−5.84Below flood stage1,470
47Apr 5, 20019.16−5.84Below flood stage1,000
48Jun 19, 19739.09−5.91Below flood stage1,440
49Mar 17, 20039.06−5.94Below flood stage956
50Jun 7, 20078.74−6.26Below flood stage928

The worst floods along the Belle Fourche River

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

May 10, 1995: 16.33 ft here, moderate flooding

  • FruitdaleSD · May 10, 1995 · 14.09 ft · Major
  • Elm SpringsSD · May 10, 1995 · 23.72 ft · Moderate
  • SturgisSD · May 10, 1995 · 17.10 ft · Moderate
  • AlvaWY · May 8, 1995 · 6.76 ft · Moderate

May 23, 2011: 16.06 ft here, moderate flooding

  • AlvaWY · May 23, 2011 · 8.54 ft · Major · its highest
  • SturgisSD · May 25, 2011 · 17.39 ft · Moderate
  • FruitdaleSD · May 24, 2011 · 13.84 ft · Moderate
  • Elm SpringsSD · May 25, 2011 · 20.09 ft · Minor

June 6, 2008: 15.98 ft here, minor flooding

  • SturgisSD · Jun 6, 2008 · 20.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • Elm SpringsSD · Jun 6, 2008 · 23.73 ft · Moderate
  • AlvaWY · Jun 6, 2008 · 6.89 ft · Moderate
  • FruitdaleSD · Jun 6, 2008 · 12.95 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Belle Fourche River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Belle Fourche River
MoorcroftWY13.014.60 ft, May 19, 19780
AlvaWY5.08.54 ft, May 23, 20111
Wyoming-South Dakota State Line this gaugeSD15.016.33 ft, May 10, 19950
FruitdaleSD12.014.32 ft, May 20, 19822
SturgisSD15.020.10 ft, Jun 6, 20082
Elm SpringsSD19.025.80 ft, May 5, 19272

Other gauges in Butte County

Flood gauges in Butte County
Fruitdale12.014.32 ft, May 20, 19822
Vale2,740.02,751.66 ft, May 21, 19823
Belle Fourche9.013.65 ft, May 20, 19781

Butte County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BWSW4, 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.