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Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap

Highest listed crest 13.15 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft31 crests since 1969

The Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap crested above flood stage 1 time among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2024. The highest, 13.15 ft on May 21, 1978, was minor flooding, 0.15 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Cheyenne River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.15 ft
May 21, 1978; 25,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 21, 1978
13.15 ft, minor flooding
Location
Custer 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, Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap
Action stage12.01Jun 8, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.01May 21, 1978Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1969 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap, 1969 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jul 21, 1969: 9.89 ft, below flood stage; 8,620 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1970: 4.13 ft, below flood stage; 429 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1971: 11.44 ft, below flood stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1972: 7.24 ft, below flood stage; 2,750 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1973: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1974: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 726 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1975: 4.12 ft, below flood stage; 460 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1976: 4.38 ft, below flood stage; 516 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1977: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,590 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1978: 13.15 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1980: 5.75 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2002: 3.74 ft, below flood stageJul 19, 2008: 4.75 ft, below flood stage; 728 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2009: 5.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2010: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 7,340 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2011: 8.42 ft, below flood stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2012: 3.34 ft, below flood stage; 167 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2013: 4.59 ft, below flood stage; 532 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2013: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2015: 12.92 ft, action stage; 18,500 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2016: 4.51 ft, below flood stage; 661 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2017: 3.74 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 2017: 3.50 ft, below flood stage; 287 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2018: 9.10 ft, below flood stage; 4,190 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2019: 10.72 ft, below flood stage; 8,840 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2020: 5.65 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2021: 3.98 ft, below flood stage; 416 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2022: 3.13 ft, below flood stageJun 5, 2022: 3.09 ft, below flood stage; 171 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2023: 5.65 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2024: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 607 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.15 ft, May 21, 1978 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Cheyenne River near Buffalo Gap
1May 21, 197813.15+0.15Minor25,000
2Jun 8, 201512.92−0.08Action18,500
3May 25, 197111.44−1.56Below flood stage17,600
4Mar 23, 201910.72−2.28Below flood stage8,840
5Jul 21, 19699.89−3.11Below flood stage8,620
6May 26, 20109.87−3.13Below flood stage7,340
7Jun 1, 20189.10−3.90Below flood stage4,190
8Mar 14, 20118.42−4.58Below flood stage3,660
9Oct 15, 20137.49−5.51Below flood stage2,420
10Jun 10, 19727.24−5.76Below flood stage2,750
11Jul 9, 19776.18−6.82Below flood stage1,590
12Feb 26, 19805.75−7.25Below flood stage1,350
13Mar 11, 20205.65−7.35Below flood stage1,080
14May 12, 20235.65−7.35Below flood stage1,130
15Jun 14, 20095.51−7.49Below flood stage1,240
16May 10, 19735.45−7.55Below flood stage1,140
17Feb 21, 19744.80−8.20Below flood stage726
18Jul 19, 20084.75−8.25Below flood stage728
19Jul 8, 20134.59−8.41Below flood stage532
20Apr 7, 20244.53−8.47Below flood stage607
21Jul 1, 20164.51−8.49Below flood stage661
22Jul 31, 19764.38−8.62Below flood stage516
23Apr 24, 19704.13−8.87Below flood stage429
24Jun 19, 19754.12−8.88Below flood stage460
25May 24, 20213.98−9.02Below flood stage416
26Apr 29, 20023.74−9.26Below flood stage—
27Feb 9, 20173.74−9.26Below flood stage—
28Apr 29, 20173.50−9.50Below flood stage287
29Apr 21, 20123.34−9.66Below flood stage167
30Feb 2, 20223.13−9.87Below flood stage—
31Jun 5, 20223.09−9.91Below flood stage171

The worst floods along the Cheyenne River

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

May 21, 1978: 13.15 ft here, minor flooding

  • EdgemontSD · May 20, 1978 · 13.65 ft · Major

Gauges on the Cheyenne River

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

Flood gauges on the Cheyenne River
EdgemontSD9.014.00 ft, May 1, 19223
Buffalo Gap this gaugeSD13.013.15 ft, May 21, 19780
ScenicSD18.019.31 ft, Mar 11, 20110
WastaSD13.018.00 ft, May 15, 19202
PlainviewSD17.022.99 ft, May 23, 20193
Eagle ButteSD21.026.82 ft, Jun 7, 20081

Other gauges in Custer County

Flood gauges in Custer County
Hermosa8.017.72 ft, Jun 10, 19723
Hermosa9.012.00 ft, Jun 9, 19720
Custer9.512.76 ft, Feb 9, 19792

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BFGS2, 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.