Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cheyenne River near Plainview

Highest listed crest 22.99 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft62 crests since 1920

The Cheyenne River near Plainview crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 62 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1920 to 2023. The highest, 22.99 ft on May 23, 2019, was major flooding, 5.99 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.99 ft
May 23, 2019; 63,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
3
31st of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 23, 2019
22.99 ft, major flooding
Location
Haakon 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 Plainview
Action stage15.08May 14, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.08Jun 21, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.03May 26, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.03May 23, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

62 crests from 1920 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cheyenne River near Plainview, 1920 to 2023 510152025ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft May 1, 1920: 17.50 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 1953: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1954: 7.68 ft, below flood stage; 9,710 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1955: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1956: 5.48 ft, below flood stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1957: 10.96 ft, below flood stage; 41,700 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1958: 7.81 ft, below flood stage; 8,530 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1959: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 7,280 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1960: 7.52 ft, below flood stage; 6,600 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1961: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 5,670 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1962: 11.65 ft, below flood stage; 38,600 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1963: 9.77 ft, below flood stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1964: 11.61 ft, below flood stage; 37,400 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1965: 11.68 ft, below flood stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1966: 7.91 ft, below flood stage; 7,130 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 11.60 ft, below flood stage; 38,100 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1968: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 7,740 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1969: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 9,890 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1970: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1971: 10.21 ft, below flood stage; 24,000 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1972: 9.44 ft, below flood stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1973: 7.51 ft, below flood stage; 5,730 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1974: 5.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1975: 8.41 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1976: 10.45 ft, below flood stage; 25,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1977: 7.97 ft, below flood stage; 9,690 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1978: 10.48 ft, below flood stage; 26,200 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1979: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1980: 7.65 ft, below flood stage; 7,940 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1981: 7.30 ft, below flood stage; 6,390 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 19.72 ft, moderate flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 22.10 ft, major flooding; 69,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 16.94 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1998: 17.01 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1998: 17.27 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2000: 17.23 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2001: 16.81 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2002: 15.55 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2003: 13.45 ft, below flood stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 15.90 ft, action stageSep 6, 2004: 15.16 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 14.14 ft, below flood stage; 9,620 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2006: 13.32 ft, below flood stage; 6,880 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2007: 13.89 ft, below flood stage; 8,720 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2008: 22.63 ft, major flooding; 73,200 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2009: 19.02 ft, moderate flooding; 38,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2010: 18.67 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 19.86 ft, moderate flooding; 44,500 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2012: 11.09 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2013: 15.85 ft, action stage; 16,700 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2013: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2015: 18.28 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2016: 13.56 ft, below flood stage; 8,160 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2017: 12.15 ft, below flood stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2019: 22.99 ft, major flooding; 63,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2020: 15.75 ft, action stageMay 24, 2020: 12.08 ft, below flood stage; 4,550 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2021: 11.29 ft, below flood stage; 3,310 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2021: 13.78 ft, below flood stage; 7,980 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2023: 16.23 ft, action stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2023: 13.87 ft, below flood stage; 8,220 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.99 ft, May 23, 2019 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cheyenne River near Plainview 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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: 14.00 ft on May 1, 1927; 5.82 ft on Jun 20, 1951; 10.55 ft on Mar 30, 1952.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 62 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cheyenne River near Plainview
1May 23, 201922.99+5.99Major63,000
2Jun 7, 200822.63+5.63Major73,200
3May 28, 199622.10+5.10Major69,660
4May 26, 201119.86+2.86Moderate44,500
5May 10, 199519.72+2.72Moderate35,000
6Apr 14, 200919.02+2.02Moderate38,300
7May 26, 201018.67+1.67Minor32,300
8Oct 13, 201318.59+1.59Minor34,100
9May 17, 201518.28+1.28Minor29,700
10Jun 21, 201817.85+0.85Minor25,000
11May 1, 192017.50+0.50Minor—
12Oct 18, 199817.27+0.27Minor27,500
13Apr 26, 200017.23+0.23Minor24,700
14Jun 20, 199817.01+0.01Minor22,200
15Feb 21, 199716.94−0.06Action20,300
16Mar 7, 200116.81−0.19Action14,000
17May 14, 202316.23−0.77Action14,200
18Mar 7, 200415.90−1.10Action—
19May 31, 201315.85−1.15Action16,700
20Mar 1, 202015.75−1.25Action—
21Mar 29, 200215.55−1.45Action10,000
22Sep 6, 200415.16−1.84Action13,800
23May 13, 200514.14−2.86Below flood stage9,620
24Jun 17, 200713.89−3.11Below flood stage8,720
25Oct 14, 202313.87−3.13Below flood stage8,220
26Oct 14, 202113.78−3.22Below flood stage7,980
27Jul 3, 201613.56−3.44Below flood stage8,160
28Mar 19, 200313.45−3.55Below flood stage7,440
29Apr 22, 200613.32−3.68Below flood stage6,880
30Aug 16, 201712.15−4.85Below flood stage4,530
31May 24, 202012.08−4.92Below flood stage4,550
32May 26, 196511.68−5.32Below flood stage37,100
33May 22, 196211.65−5.35Below flood stage38,600
34Jun 8, 196411.61−5.39Below flood stage37,400
35Jun 16, 196711.60−5.40Below flood stage38,100
36May 25, 202111.29−5.71Below flood stage3,310
37May 6, 201211.09−5.91Below flood stage2,160
38May 26, 195710.96−6.04Below flood stage41,700
39May 23, 197810.48−6.52Below flood stage26,200
40Jun 16, 197610.45−6.55Below flood stage25,900
41May 24, 197110.21−6.79Below flood stage24,000
42Jun 16, 19639.77−7.23Below flood stage18,000
43Sep 21, 19559.53−7.47Below flood stage21,000
44Jun 11, 19729.44−7.56Below flood stage14,600
45Apr 25, 19709.05−7.95Below flood stage15,500
46Jun 20, 19538.97−8.03Below flood stage15,700
47Apr 29, 19758.41−8.59Below flood stage11,900
48Jul 20, 19698.34−8.66Below flood stage9,890
49Jun 18, 19798.05−8.95Below flood stage10,600
50Jun 7, 19688.00−9.00Below flood stage7,740

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.

June 7, 2008: 22.63 ft here, major flooding

  • Eagle ButteSD · Jun 7, 2008 · 26.82 ft · Major · its highest

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 GapSD13.013.15 ft, May 21, 19780
ScenicSD18.019.31 ft, Mar 11, 20110
WastaSD13.018.00 ft, May 15, 19202
Plainview this gaugeSD17.022.99 ft, May 23, 20193
Eagle ButteSD21.026.82 ft, Jun 7, 20081

Other gauges in Haakon County

Flood gauges in Haakon County
Midland21.024.44 ft, Jun 15, 19670
Eagle Butte21.026.82 ft, Jun 7, 20081

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PLNS2, 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.