Big Sioux River above Dell Rapids

Highest listed crest 1,490.00 ftFlood stage 1,481.0 ft6 crests since 2019

The Big Sioux River above Dell Rapids crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2019 to 2025. The highest, 1,490.00 ft on September 13, 2019, was major flooding, 9.00 feet above flood stage. 13 other gauges on the Big Sioux River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 1,490.00 ft; September 13, 2019
Flood stage: 1,481.0 ft; Major flooding from 1,486.0 ft
Crests at major: 2; 42nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest: June 24, 2024; 1,482.29 ft, minor flooding
Location: Minnehaha County; South Dakota
Identifiers: NWS DRBS2; No USGS station

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 above Dell Rapids

Action stage	1,479.5	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	1,481.0	2	Jun 24, 2024	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	1,484.0	0	—	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	1,486.0	2	Sep 13, 2019	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 2019 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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

Highest listed crests, Big Sioux River above Dell Rapids

1	Sep 13, 2019	1,490.00	+9.00	Major	—
2	Mar 24, 2019	1,487.53	+6.53	Major	—
3	Jun 24, 2024	1,482.29	+1.29	Minor	—
4	Apr 10, 2023	1,481.62	+0.62	Minor	—
5	Apr 1, 2020	1,479.29	−1.71	Below flood stage	—
6	Jul 5, 2025	1,478.51	−2.49	Below flood stage	—

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.

September 13, 2019: 1,490.00 ft here, major flooding

FlandreauSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 1,545.29 ft · Major · its highest
EganSD · Sep 12, 2019 · 1,524.20 ft · Major · its highest
TrentSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 1,501.42 ft · Major · its highest
BrandonSD · Sep 14, 2019 · 1,313.53 ft · Major · its highest
CantonSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 1,245.88 ft · Major
RichlandIA · Sep 17, 2019 · 1,123.51 ft · Major
HawardenSD · Sep 15, 2019 · 32.42 ft · Major
Sioux Falls I-90SD · Sep 14, 2019 · 18.91 ft · Major · its highest
Dell RapidsSD · Sep 13, 2019 · 16.70 ft · Major · its highest
FairviewSD · Sep 14, 2019 · 1,213.14 ft · Moderate · its highest

March 24, 2019: 1,487.53 ft here, major flooding

EganSD · Mar 23, 2019 · 1,522.48 ft · Major
TrentSD · Mar 24, 2019 · 1,500.00 ft · Major
JeffersonIA · Mar 17, 2019 · 40.42 ft · Major
Dell RapidsSD · Mar 24, 2019 · 15.69 ft · Major
WatertownSD · Mar 28, 2019 · 12.31 ft · Major
EstellineSD · Mar 28, 2019 · 1,646.90 ft · Moderate
FlandreauSD · Mar 23, 2019 · 1,543.53 ft · Moderate
Sioux Falls N. Cliff AvenueSD · Mar 26, 2019 · 22.06 ft · Moderate
Sioux Falls I-90SD · Mar 26, 2019 · 16.92 ft · Moderate
BrookingsSD · Mar 25, 2019 · 13.05 ft · Moderate

June 24, 2024: 1,482.29 ft here, minor 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
JeffersonIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 44.50 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

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

Canton	SD	1,235.0	1,248.35 ft, Jun 22, 2024	3
Dell Rapids this gauge	SD	1,481.0	1,490.00 ft, Sep 13, 2019	2
Flandreau	SD	1,540.0	1,545.29 ft, Sep 13, 2019	1
Hawarden	SD	20.5	39.92 ft, Jun 22, 2024	4
Akron	IA	16.0	27.35 ft, Jun 22, 2024	24
Fairview	SD	1,202.0	1,213.14 ft, Sep 14, 2019	0
Lake Kampeska	SD	21.0	22.40 ft, Mar 15, 2010	0
Lake Poinsett Inlet/Outlet	SD	1,654.0	1,657.60 ft, Apr 5, 2011	2
Sioux City	SD	32.0	44.90 ft, Jun 23, 2024	1
Sioux Falls I-90	SD	12.0	18.91 ft, Sep 14, 2019	1
Sioux Falls N. Cliff Avenue	SD	16.0	26.08 ft, Sep 14, 2019	0
Sioux Falls Western Avenue	SD	8.0	16.90 ft, Mar 14, 2019	4
Trent	SD	1,495.0	1,501.42 ft, Sep 13, 2019	2
Watertown Broadway Avenue	SD	10.5	13.67 ft, Apr 6, 1997	1
Watertown Sioux Conifer Road	SD	9.0	11.18 ft, Apr 13, 2023	0
Watertown	SD	11.0	13.13 ft, Apr 2, 1997	5
Brandon	SD	1,304.0	1,313.53 ft, Sep 14, 2019	2
Brookings	SD	9.0	14.77 ft, Apr 9, 1969	0
Bruce	SD	8.0	12.16 ft, Mar 28, 2011	0
Castlewood	SD	9.0	13.19 ft, Apr 7, 1997	0
Dell Rapids	SD	12.0	16.70 ft, Sep 13, 2019	10
Egan	SD	1,516.5	1,524.20 ft, Sep 12, 2019	2
Estelline	SD	1,644.0	1,647.03 ft, Jun 30, 2025	0
Florence	SD	8.0	9.70 ft, Apr 13, 2023	6
Jefferson	IA	31.0	44.50 ft, Jun 24, 2024	2
Richland	IA	1,117.0	1,128.70 ft, Jun 23, 2024	5
Watertown	SD	10.0	12.33 ft, Apr 7, 2001	2

Other gauges in Minnehaha County

Flood gauges in Minnehaha County

Sioux Falls I-90	12.0	18.91 ft, Sep 14, 2019	1
Sioux Falls N. Cliff Avenue	16.0	26.08 ft, Sep 14, 2019	0
Sioux Falls Western Avenue	8.0	16.90 ft, Mar 14, 2019	4
Brandon	1,304.0	1,313.53 ft, Sep 14, 2019	2
Dell Rapids	12.0	16.70 ft, Sep 13, 2019	10
Sioux Falls	6.0	9.63 ft, Sep 14, 2019	0
Sioux Falls	11.5	18.23 ft, Mar 14, 2019	1
Hartford	10.0	15.08 ft, Mar 14, 2019	0
Corson	8.5	19.01 ft, Sep 12, 2019	4
Crooks	9.0	12.65 ft, Mar 14, 2019	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DRBS2, 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.