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Cheyenne River near Scenic

Highest listed crest 19.31 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft21 crests since 2007

The Cheyenne River near Scenic crested above flood stage 2 times among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2007 to 2023. The highest, 19.31 ft on March 11, 2011, was minor flooding, 1.31 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.31 ft
March 11, 2011
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2015
19.25 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pennington 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 Scenic
Action stage16.01May 28, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.02May 16, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 2007 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cheyenne River near Scenic, 2007 to 2023 510152025ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft Aug 3, 2007: 14.12 ft, below flood stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2008: 13.87 ft, below flood stage; 6,910 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2009: 13.56 ft, below flood stage; 6,350 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2010: 14.68 ft, below flood stage; 8,510 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 19.31 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2011: 15.31 ft, below flood stage; 9,790 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2012: 11.58 ft, below flood stage; 3,210 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2013: 12.19 ft, below flood stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2014: 14.88 ft, below flood stage; 7,810 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2015: 19.25 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2016: 15.16 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2017: 12.38 ft, below flood stageAug 15, 2017: 12.05 ft, below flood stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2018: 15.13 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2019: 16.69 ft, action stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2020: 11.48 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 2020: 9.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2021: 12.28 ft, below flood stage; 4,780 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2021: 14.45 ft, below flood stage; 8,900 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2023: 14.10 ft, below flood stage; 8,130 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2023: 15.69 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.31 ft, Mar 11, 2011 201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cheyenne River near Scenic 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 2000s2010s2020s
  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 Scenic
1Mar 11, 201119.31+1.31Minor—
2May 16, 201519.25+1.25Minor24,300
3May 28, 201916.69−1.31Action15,600
4Oct 13, 202315.69−2.31Below flood stage12,000
5May 20, 201115.31−2.69Below flood stage9,790
6Jul 2, 201615.16−2.84Below flood stage11,400
7May 28, 201815.13−2.87Below flood stage11,300
8Sep 30, 201414.88−3.12Below flood stage7,810
9Aug 4, 201014.68−3.32Below flood stage8,510
10Oct 13, 202114.45−3.55Below flood stage8,900
11Aug 3, 200714.12−3.88Below flood stage7,260
12May 12, 202314.10−3.90Below flood stage8,130
13Jul 18, 200813.87−4.13Below flood stage6,910
14Jul 11, 200913.56−4.44Below flood stage6,350
15Feb 11, 201712.38−5.62Below flood stage—
16Jun 9, 202112.28−5.72Below flood stage4,780
17Aug 10, 201312.19−5.81Below flood stage3,640
18Aug 15, 201712.05−5.95Below flood stage5,130
19May 5, 201211.58−6.42Below flood stage3,210
20Feb 2, 202011.48−6.52Below flood stage—
21May 30, 20209.69−8.31Below flood stage1,650

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 16, 2015: 19.25 ft here, minor flooding

  • PlainviewSD · May 17, 2015 · 18.28 ft · Minor
  • WastaSD · May 16, 2015 · 14.03 ft · Minor

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
Scenic this gaugeSD18.019.31 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 Pennington County

Flood gauges in Pennington County
Keystone6.514.50 ft, Jun 9, 19721
Keystone8.014.50 ft, Jun 9, 19721
Rapid City33.534.24 ft, Jul 5, 20190
Deerfield6.06.54 ft, Mar 15, 20190
Wasta13.018.00 ft, May 15, 19202
Keystone4.56.32 ft, Oct 11, 20131
Johnson Siding4.54.88 ft, Jun 24, 20150
Victoria Creek near Rapid City7.513.00 ft, Jun 9, 19721
Water Reclamation Facility near Rapid City9.011.23 ft, May 28, 20190
Big Bend7.07.43 ft, Jun 24, 20150
Founders Park11.011.18 ft, Jun 2, 19970
Hawthorne Ditch at Rapid City16.024.30 ft, Jun 9, 19720
Farmingdale11.012.69 ft, May 24, 20103
Hill City6.06.32 ft, May 26, 20150
Rockerville7.014.00 ft, Jun 10, 19721
Hill City6.58.23 ft, Jun 18, 19981
Victoria Dam nr Rapid City6.58.20 ft, May 28, 20191

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SCNS2, 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.