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Horse Creek near Vale

Highest listed crest 2,751.66 ftFlood stage 2,740.0 ft20 crests since 1982

The Horse Creek near Vale crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2012. The highest, 2,751.66 ft on May 21, 1982, was major flooding, 11.66 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
2,751.66 ft
May 21, 1982; 17,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
2,740.0 ft
Major flooding from 2,746.0 ft
Crests at major
3
31st of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 21, 2011
2,747.90 ft, major flooding
Location
Butte County
South Dakota
Identifiers
NWS HRSS2
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Horse Creek near Vale
Action stage2,738.01Feb 20, 1997The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)2,740.03Apr 13, 2009Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage2,743.03May 28, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage2,746.03May 21, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1982 to 2012. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Horse Creek near Vale, 1982 to 2012 27202730274027502760ft Flood stage 2,740.0 ftMajor 2,746.0 ft May 21, 1982: 2,751.66 ft, major flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1984: 2,737.54 ft, below flood stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1986: 2,745.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1987: 2,737.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1993: 2,740.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 2,741.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 2,745.78 ft, moderate flooding; 8,110 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 2,745.10 ft, moderate flooding; 6,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1997: 2,739.45 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1998: 2,737.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2000: 2,730.08 ft, below flood stage; 119 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2002: 2,730.08 ft, below flood stage; 125 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2003: 2,729.67 ft, below flood stage; 79 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2005: 2,729.80 ft, below flood stage; 90 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2007: 2,737.67 ft, below flood stage; 125 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 2,750.28 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2009: 2,741.80 ft, minor flooding; 3,420 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2010: 2,733.50 ft, below flood stage; 646 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2011: 2,747.90 ft, major flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2012: 2,730.35 ft, below flood stage; 143 cubic feet per second Highest, 2,751.66 ft, May 21, 1982 199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Horse Creek near Vale 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Horse Creek near Vale
1May 21, 19822,751.66+11.66Major17,700
2Jun 6, 20082,750.28+10.28Major15,100
3May 21, 20112,747.90+7.90Major11,100
4May 10, 19952,745.78+5.78Moderate8,110
5May 10, 19862,745.42+5.42Moderate7,410
6May 28, 19962,745.10+5.10Moderate6,600
7Apr 13, 20092,741.80+1.80Minor3,420
8Mar 4, 19942,741.20+1.20Minor2,200
9Jul 2, 19932,740.62+0.62Minor2,670
10Feb 20, 19972,739.45−0.55Action1,800
11Jun 19, 19982,737.94−2.06Below flood stage1,800
12Jun 10, 20072,737.67−2.33Below flood stage125
13Apr 6, 19872,737.58−2.42Below flood stage1,690
14May 6, 19842,737.54−2.46Below flood stage1,670
15May 13, 20102,733.50−6.50Below flood stage646
16Sep 10, 20122,730.35−9.65Below flood stage143
17Jun 25, 20002,730.08−9.92Below flood stage119
18Sep 19, 20022,730.08−9.92Below flood stage125
19Aug 11, 20052,729.80−10.20Below flood stage90
20Sep 13, 20032,729.67−10.33Below flood stage79

Other gauges in Butte County

Flood gauges in Butte County
Wyoming-South Dakota State Line15.016.33 ft, May 10, 19950
Fruitdale12.014.32 ft, May 20, 19822
Belle Fourche9.013.65 ft, May 20, 19781

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HRSS2, 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.