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Big Sioux River near Watertown

Highest listed crest 12.33 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft46 crests since 1973

The Big Sioux River near Watertown crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 46 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2025. The highest, 12.33 ft on April 7, 2001, was major flooding, 2.33 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Big Sioux River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.33 ft
April 7, 2001; 8,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
2
42nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
August 6, 2025
10.61 ft, minor flooding
Location
Codington County
Near Watertown (6.7 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 Watertown
Action stage9.08Oct 23, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.05Aug 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.03Apr 13, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.02Apr 7, 2001Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

46 crests from 1973 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Sioux River near Watertown, 1973 to 2025 468101214ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Mar 15, 1973: 8.11 ft, below flood stage; 595 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1974: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 232 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1975: 7.75 ft, below flood stage; 301 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1976: 7.07 ft, below flood stage; 288 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1977: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 938 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1978: 11.07 ft, moderate flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1979: 9.82 ft, action stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1980: 8.04 ft, below flood stage; 330 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 5.50 ft, below flood stage; 88 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1982: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 250 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1983: 7.52 ft, below flood stage; 396 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 9.25 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1985: 9.62 ft, action stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1987: 8.01 ft, below flood stage; 601 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1988: 6.26 ft, below flood stage; 110 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1989: 8.98 ft, below flood stage; 900 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1990: 4.56 ft, below flood stage; 28 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1992: 8.07 ft, below flood stage; 736 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1994: 9.86 ft, action stage; 2,110 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1995: 9.81 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1996: 10.67 ft, minor flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1997: 12.09 ft, major flooding; 7,820 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1998: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1999: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 946 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2000: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 31 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2001: 12.33 ft, major flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2002: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2003: 8.27 ft, below flood stage; 250 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2004: 4.74 ft, below flood stage; 75 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2005: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 565 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2006: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 554 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2007: 9.82 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 10.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,310 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2011: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,380 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2012: 6.39 ft, below flood stage; 267 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2013: 8.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2014: 9.82 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2015: 7.85 ft, below flood stage; 300 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2016: 4.82 ft, below flood stage; 89 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2017: 7.88 ft, below flood stage; 378 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2019: 11.21 ft, moderate flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2019: 9.08 ft, action stage; 801 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2021: 7.12 ft, below flood stage; 402 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2022: 10.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2023: 11.85 ft, moderate flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 2025: 10.61 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.33 ft, Apr 7, 2001 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Sioux River near Watertown 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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. 3 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 11.08 ft on Mar 30, 1986; 11.13 ft on Jun 21, 1991; 11.07 ft on Mar 28, 1993.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Big Sioux River near Watertown
1Apr 7, 200112.33+2.33Major8,000
2Apr 5, 199712.09+2.09Major7,820
3Apr 13, 202311.85+1.85Moderate6,450
4Mar 28, 201911.21+1.21Moderate3,390
5Mar 30, 197811.07+1.07Moderate3,720
6Mar 14, 199610.67+0.67Minor2,500
7Mar 15, 201010.66+0.66Minor2,310
8Aug 6, 202510.61+0.61Minor1,550
9Mar 23, 201110.30+0.30Minor2,380
10May 31, 202210.11+0.11Minor2,080
11Mar 20, 19949.86−0.14Action2,110
12Apr 13, 19799.82−0.18Action1,780
13Mar 22, 20079.82−0.18Action1,950
14Jun 19, 20149.82−0.18Action1,950
15Mar 12, 19959.81−0.19Action2,000
16Mar 17, 19859.62−0.38Action1,700
17Jun 16, 19849.25−0.75Action1,330
18Oct 23, 20199.08−0.92Action801
19Mar 27, 19898.98−1.02Below flood stage900
20Mar 30, 19828.97−1.03Below flood stage250
21Mar 29, 20028.97−1.03Below flood stage800
22Apr 28, 20138.89−1.11Below flood stage1,050
23May 17, 19988.87−1.13Below flood stage1,140
24Jun 16, 19778.77−1.23Below flood stage938
25Oct 17, 19998.60−1.40Below flood stage946
26Mar 17, 20038.27−1.73Below flood stage250
27Mar 15, 19738.11−1.89Below flood stage595
28Jul 2, 19928.07−1.93Below flood stage736
29Mar 19, 19808.04−1.96Below flood stage330
30Mar 25, 19878.01−1.99Below flood stage601
31Sep 25, 20177.88−2.12Below flood stage378
32Mar 11, 20157.85−2.15Below flood stage300
33Jun 14, 20057.84−2.16Below flood stage565
34Mar 31, 20067.76−2.24Below flood stage554
35Apr 17, 19757.75−2.25Below flood stage301
36Apr 2, 19837.52−2.48Below flood stage396
37Apr 10, 20217.12−2.88Below flood stage402
38Mar 24, 19767.07−2.93Below flood stage288
39Apr 4, 19746.75−3.25Below flood stage232
40Mar 13, 20126.39−3.61Below flood stage267
41Mar 25, 19886.26−3.74Below flood stage110
42Jun 15, 19815.50−4.50Below flood stage88
43Apr 27, 20164.82−5.18Below flood stage89
44Jun 2, 20044.74−5.26Below flood stage75
45Jun 18, 19904.56−5.44Below flood stage28
46Apr 22, 20004.25−5.75Below flood stage31

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.

April 7, 2001: 12.33 ft here, major flooding

April 5, 1997: 12.09 ft here, major flooding

April 13, 2023: 11.85 ft here, moderate flooding

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
JeffersonIA31.044.50 ft, Jun 24, 20242
RichlandIA1,117.01,128.70 ft, Jun 23, 20245
Watertown this gaugeSD10.012.33 ft, Apr 7, 20012

Other gauges in Codington County

Flood gauges in Codington County
Lake Kampeska21.022.40 ft, Mar 15, 20100
Watertown Broadway Avenue10.513.67 ft, Apr 6, 19971
Watertown Sioux Conifer Road9.011.18 ft, Apr 13, 20230
Watertown11.013.13 ft, Apr 2, 19975
Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant21.023.71 ft, Apr 6, 19972
Rauville9.010.70 ft, Apr 11, 20230
Rauville4.05.75 ft, Mar 23, 20190
Watertown10.013.55 ft, Apr 11, 20230

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WTRS2, 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.