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Belle Fourche River near Sturgis

Highest listed crest 20.10 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft83 crests since 1946

The Belle Fourche River near Sturgis crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 83 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2024. The highest, 20.10 ft on June 6, 2008, was major flooding, 5.10 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
20.10 ft
June 6, 2008; 36,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
2
42nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 2019
15.76 ft, minor flooding
Location
Meade 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 near Sturgis
Action stage13.06May 30, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.05May 22, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.02May 25, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.02Jun 6, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

83 crests from 1946 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Belle Fourche River near Sturgis, 1946 to 2024 0510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft May 24, 1946: 13.86 ft, action stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1947: 12.53 ft, below flood stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 7.77 ft, below flood stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1949: 9.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1950: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 5,170 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1951: 5.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1952: 8.92 ft, below flood stage; 6,300 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1953: 9.10 ft, below flood stage; 6,640 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1954: 7.08 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1954: 12.16 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1955: 5.24 ft, below flood stage; 848 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1956: 6.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1957: 5.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1958: 6.35 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1959: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1960: 7.20 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1961: 6.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,720 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1962: 14.32 ft, action stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1963: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1965: 14.14 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1966: 7.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1967: 10.08 ft, below flood stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1968: 4.93 ft, below flood stage; 727 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1969: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1970: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1971: 9.13 ft, below flood stage; 5,160 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1972: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 7,060 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1973: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,140 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1974: 5.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1975: 9.85 ft, below flood stage; 5,640 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1976: 16.04 ft, minor flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1977: 7.29 ft, below flood stage; 2,680 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1978: 10.77 ft, below flood stage; 7,460 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1979: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1980: 7.47 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 8.73 ft, below flood stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1982: 19.10 ft, major floodingOct 10, 1982: 9.72 ft, below flood stage; 6,060 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 12.15 ft, below flood stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1985: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,770 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1986: 12.38 ft, below flood stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 7.32 ft, below flood stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1988: 6.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1989: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1990: 5.12 ft, below flood stage; 976 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1991: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1992: 6.57 ft, below flood stage; 1,790 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 12.18 ft, below flood stage; 9,980 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1994: 9.01 ft, below flood stage; 4,680 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 17.10 ft, moderate flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 16.45 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1997: 14.96 ft, action stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1998: 14.15 ft, action stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1998: 10.44 ft, below flood stage; 7,380 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2000: 5.35 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2001: 8.13 ft, below flood stageApr 7, 2001: 7.06 ft, below flood stage; 2,760 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2002: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 619 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2003: 5.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2004: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2005: 3.93 ft, below flood stage; 329 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2006: 8.91 ft, below flood stage; 4,300 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2007: 6.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 20.10 ft, major flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2009: 15.80 ft, minor flooding; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2010: 8.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,440 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2011: 17.39 ft, moderate flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 2011: 5.67 ft, below flood stageJul 26, 2012: 4.07 ft, below flood stage; 516 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 13.80 ft, action stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2013: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2016: 5.10 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 2016: 4.57 ft, below flood stage; 782 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2017: 5.18 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 2017: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 869 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 10.24 ft, below flood stage; 7,430 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 15.76 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 29, 2020: 9.39 ft, below flood stageFeb 11, 2021: 5.34 ft, below flood stageMay 25, 2021: 4.37 ft, below flood stage; 817 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2022: 6.57 ft, below flood stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2023: 10.61 ft, below flood stage; 7,390 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2024: 5.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,450 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.10 ft, Jun 6, 2008 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Belle Fourche River near Sturgis 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 3 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 83 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Belle Fourche River near Sturgis
1Jun 6, 200820.10+5.10Major36,100
2May 21, 198219.10+4.10Major—
3May 25, 201117.39+2.39Moderate24,400
4May 10, 199517.10+2.10Moderate20,000
5May 28, 199616.45+1.45Minor18,500
6Jun 15, 197616.04+1.04Minor19,100
7Apr 13, 200915.80+0.80Minor19,700
8May 22, 201915.76+0.76Minor20,200
9Oct 12, 201315.20+0.20Minor18,000
10Feb 20, 199714.96−0.04Action6,500
11Jun 16, 196214.32−0.68Action11,900
12Jun 19, 199814.15−0.85Action13,700
13May 25, 196514.14−0.86Action14,400
14May 24, 194613.86−1.14Action17,900
15May 30, 201313.80−1.20Action13,200
16Jun 23, 194712.53−2.47Below flood stage14,400
17Sep 26, 198612.38−2.62Below flood stage10,400
18May 9, 199312.18−2.82Below flood stage9,980
19Jun 9, 195412.16−2.84Below flood stage10,100
20Jun 16, 198412.15−2.85Below flood stage9,560
21Mar 21, 197810.77−4.23Below flood stage7,460
22May 14, 202310.61−4.39Below flood stage7,390
23Jun 10, 197210.56−4.44Below flood stage7,060
24Oct 18, 199810.44−4.56Below flood stage7,380
25Jun 21, 201810.24−4.76Below flood stage7,430
26Jun 14, 196710.08−4.92Below flood stage6,540
27May 7, 19759.85−5.15Below flood stage5,640
28Oct 10, 19829.72−5.28Below flood stage6,060
29Feb 29, 20209.39−5.61Below flood stage—
30May 24, 19719.13−5.87Below flood stage5,160
31Mar 23, 19499.10−5.90Below flood stage5,500
32Jun 16, 19539.10−5.90Below flood stage6,640
33Mar 5, 19949.01−5.99Below flood stage4,680
34Mar 30, 19528.92−6.08Below flood stage6,300
35Apr 21, 20068.91−6.09Below flood stage4,300
36May 15, 19708.87−6.13Below flood stage4,600
37Jun 16, 19638.80−6.20Below flood stage4,000
38Apr 21, 19738.80−6.20Below flood stage4,140
39Jun 13, 19818.73−6.27Below flood stage4,110
40May 13, 20108.68−6.32Below flood stage4,440
41Apr 8, 19508.27−6.73Below flood stage5,170
42Mar 8, 20018.13−6.87Below flood stage—
43May 5, 19698.00−7.00Below flood stage3,310
44Mar 17, 19667.85−7.15Below flood stage2,900
45Mar 22, 19487.77−7.23Below flood stage4,220
46Mar 20, 19857.48−7.52Below flood stage2,770
47May 12, 19917.48−7.52Below flood stage2,820
48Jun 14, 19807.47−7.53Below flood stage2,820
49Apr 5, 19877.32−7.68Below flood stage2,670
50Apr 9, 19777.29−7.71Below flood stage2,680

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.

June 6, 2008: 20.10 ft here, major flooding

May 21, 1982: 19.10 ft here, major flooding

  • FruitdaleSD · May 20, 1982 · 14.32 ft · Major · its highest
  • Elm SpringsSD · May 21, 1982 · 22.22 ft · Moderate

May 25, 2011: 17.39 ft here, moderate flooding

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 LineSD15.016.33 ft, May 10, 19950
FruitdaleSD12.014.32 ft, May 20, 19822
Sturgis this gaugeSD15.020.10 ft, Jun 6, 20082
Elm SpringsSD19.025.80 ft, May 5, 19272

Other gauges in Meade County

Flood gauges in Meade County
Elm Springs19.025.80 ft, May 5, 19272
Plainview19.022.63 ft, Apr 1, 19521
Elm Springs12.016.22 ft, Feb 18, 19974
Rapid City10.014.40 ft, Jun 9, 19721

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SBFS2, 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.