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Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam

Highest listed crest 16.90 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft73 crests since 1943

The Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam crested above flood stage 6 times among the 73 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1943 to 2025. The highest, 16.90 ft on April 20, 1997, was minor flooding, 2.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.90 ft
April 20, 1997; 8,750 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 12, 2019
15.80 ft, minor flooding
Location
Roberts 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, Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam
Action stage12.51Apr 3, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.06Apr 12, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

73 crests from 1943 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam, 1943 to 2025 0510152025ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft May 24, 1943: 8.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1944: 9.28 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1945: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 900 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1946: 7.89 ft, below flood stage; 850 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1947: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 975 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1948: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1950: 9.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1952: 10.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1954: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 124 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1955: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 152 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1956: 6.94 ft, below flood stage; 303 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1957: 9.09 ft, below flood stage; 610 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1958: 7.05 ft, below flood stage; 418 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1960: 7.31 ft, below flood stage; 131 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 125 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1962: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1963: 8.65 ft, below flood stage; 945 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1964: 5.44 ft, below flood stage; 209 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1965: 11.05 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1966: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 921 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1967: 7.33 ft, below flood stage; 530 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1968: 3.94 ft, below flood stage; 58 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1969: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 3,770 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1969: 4.68 ft, below flood stage; 102 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1971: 5.93 ft, below flood stage; 188 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1972: 9.39 ft, below flood stage; 776 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1973: 7.00 ft, below flood stage; 381 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1974: 4.22 ft, below flood stage; 54 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1975: 8.95 ft, below flood stage; 552 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1976: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 522 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1977: 5.52 ft, below flood stage; 27 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1978: 11.59 ft, below flood stage; 929 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1979: 10.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1980: 6.19 ft, below flood stage; 169 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1981: 4.16 ft, below flood stage; 27 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1982: 8.25 ft, below flood stage; 414 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1982: 6.63 ft, below flood stage; 150 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1984: 11.00 ft, below flood stage; 978 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1985: 9.19 ft, below flood stage; 860 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1986: 12.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1986: 7.71 ft, below flood stage; 530 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1988: 5.84 ft, below flood stage; 180 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1989: 10.72 ft, below flood stage; 693 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1990: 4.85 ft, below flood stage; 89 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1991: 11.14 ft, below flood stage; 685 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1992: 7.17 ft, below flood stage; 139 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1993: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1994: 11.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1995: 11.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1997: 16.90 ft, minor flooding; 8,750 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 11.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1999: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 737 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2000: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 593 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2001: 15.30 ft, minor flooding; 4,020 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2002: 7.74 ft, below flood stage; 566 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2003: 8.45 ft, below flood stage; 792 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2004: 7.74 ft, below flood stage; 648 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2005: 10.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2006: 10.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2007: 10.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2008: 8.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2009: 15.03 ft, minor flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2010: 12.85 ft, action stage; 2,180 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2011: 16.04 ft, minor flooding; 6,770 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2012: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2014: 10.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2015: 9.26 ft, below flood stage; 987 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2016: 6.09 ft, below flood stage; 22 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2017: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 805 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2017: 10.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2019: 15.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,290 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2020: 10.16 ft, below flood stage; 782 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2025: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,260 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.90 ft, Apr 20, 1997 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2 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 73 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam
1Apr 20, 199716.90+2.90Minor8,750
2Apr 15, 201116.04+2.04Minor6,770
3Apr 12, 201915.80+1.80Minor5,290
4Apr 13, 200115.30+1.30Minor4,020
5Apr 20, 196915.07+1.07Minor3,770
6Apr 1, 200915.03+1.03Minor3,850
7Apr 3, 201012.85−1.15Action2,180
8May 7, 198612.12−1.88Below flood stage1,820
9Apr 8, 199411.88−2.12Below flood stage1,550
10Apr 5, 199511.85−2.15Below flood stage1,690
11Mar 10, 199811.81−2.19Below flood stage1,070
12Apr 19, 197811.59−2.41Below flood stage929
13Aug 6, 196211.52−2.48Below flood stage1,620
14Aug 4, 199311.52−2.48Below flood stage1,300
15Jul 7, 199111.14−2.86Below flood stage685
16Jun 9, 196511.05−2.95Below flood stage1,320
17Apr 14, 198411.00−3.00Below flood stage978
18Apr 14, 198910.72−3.28Below flood stage693
19Jun 30, 200510.67−3.33Below flood stage1,660
20Jun 3, 195210.36−3.64Below flood stage1,410
21May 6, 200710.29−3.71Below flood stage1,510
22Jun 24, 201410.18−3.82Below flood stage1,270
23Apr 12, 200610.16−3.84Below flood stage1,460
24Mar 20, 202010.16−3.84Below flood stage782
25May 4, 197910.15−3.85Below flood stage1,030
26Oct 6, 201710.15−3.85Below flood stage1,100
27Aug 21, 20259.60−4.40Below flood stage1,260
28Apr 10, 19729.39−4.61Below flood stage776
29Jun 23, 19449.28−4.72Below flood stage1,080
30May 22, 20159.26−4.74Below flood stage987
31Mar 31, 19859.19−4.81Below flood stage860
32Jul 8, 19509.16−4.84Below flood stage1,060
33Jun 22, 19579.09−4.91Below flood stage610
34Feb 24, 20179.00−5.00Below flood stage805
35May 24, 19438.95−5.05Below flood stage1,120
36Jul 16, 19758.95−5.05Below flood stage552
37Mar 9, 20128.87−5.13Below flood stage1,010
38Jun 16, 20088.86−5.14Below flood stage1,010
39Jun 11, 19998.83−5.17Below flood stage737
40Apr 29, 19668.77−5.23Below flood stage921
41May 1, 19478.67−5.33Below flood stage975
42Jun 18, 19638.65−5.35Below flood stage945
43Mar 21, 19768.60−5.40Below flood stage522
44Apr 4, 20038.45−5.55Below flood stage792
45Apr 16, 19828.25−5.75Below flood stage414
46Apr 27, 19488.20−5.80Below flood stage1,020
47Apr 4, 19458.10−5.90Below flood stage900
48Mar 3, 20007.92−6.08Below flood stage593
49Apr 8, 19467.89−6.11Below flood stage850
50Jul 18, 20027.74−6.26Below flood stage566

Other gauges in Roberts County

Flood gauges in Roberts County
Peever17.022.86 ft, Mar 18, 20100

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHRM5, 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.