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Little Vermillion River near Salem

Highest listed crest 11.95 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft41 crests since 1967

The Little Vermillion River near Salem crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1967 to 2011. The highest, 11.95 ft on July 4, 1993, was major flooding, 4.95 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.95 ft
July 4, 1993; 3,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
6
15th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
March 17, 2011
9.21 ft, major flooding
Location
McCook County
South Dakota
Identifiers
NWS LVSS2
USGS 06478540; out of service

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Vermillion River near Salem
Action stage6.08Jul 13, 2009The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.08Jun 13, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.05Mar 12, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.06Mar 17, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1967 to 2011. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Vermillion River near Salem, 1967 to 2011 24681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft Mar 4, 1967: 4.79 ft, below flood stage; 31 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1969: 8.53 ft, moderate floodingMar 5, 1970: 6.63 ft, action stage; 369 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1971: 6.47 ft, action stage; 140 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1972: 5.07 ft, below flood stage; 32 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1973: 5.99 ft, below flood stage; 96 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1974: 3.95 ft, below flood stage; 1 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1976: 4.39 ft, below flood stageMar 12, 1977: 6.38 ft, action stage; 223 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1978: 7.79 ft, minor flooding; 676 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 6.50 ft, action stage; 105 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1980: 4.13 ft, below flood stage; 3 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1982: 6.02 ft, action stage; 179 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1984: 9.88 ft, major flooding; 900 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1985: 7.18 ft, minor flooding; 406 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1986: 8.23 ft, moderate flooding; 315 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1987: 7.23 ft, minor flooding; 217 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1988: 5.11 ft, below flood stageMar 13, 1989: 5.19 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 1990: 7.23 ft, minor flooding; 217 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1991: 5.48 ft, below flood stage; 19 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1992: 7.56 ft, minor flooding; 169 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1993: 11.95 ft, major flooding; 3,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 8.38 ft, moderate flooding; 270 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1995: 7.89 ft, minor flooding; 457 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1996: 7.73 ft, minor flooding; 420 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1997: 10.01 ft, major flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1998: 5.02 ft, below flood stage; 30 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1999: 6.36 ft, action stage; 119 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2000: 4.75 ft, below flood stage; 15 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2001: 8.68 ft, moderate flooding; 578 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2002: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 35 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2003: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 35 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2004: 5.87 ft, below flood stage; 52 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2005: 7.23 ft, minor flooding; 120 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2006: 6.55 ft, action stage; 112 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2007: 8.42 ft, moderate flooding; 551 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2008: 9.17 ft, major flooding; 830 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2009: 6.57 ft, action stage; 62 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 9.28 ft, major floodingMar 17, 2011: 9.21 ft, major flooding Highest, 11.95 ft, Jul 4, 1993 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Vermillion River near Salem 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Little Vermillion River near Salem
1Jul 4, 199311.95+4.95Major3,300
2Mar 28, 199710.01+3.01Major1,560
3Jun 20, 19849.88+2.88Major900
4Mar 14, 20109.28+2.28Major—
5Mar 17, 20119.21+2.21Major—
6Jun 7, 20089.17+2.17Major830
7Apr 2, 20018.68+1.68Moderate578
8Apr 5, 19698.53+1.53Moderate—
9Mar 12, 20078.42+1.42Moderate551
10Mar 6, 19948.38+1.38Moderate270
11Sep 21, 19868.23+1.23Moderate315
12Apr 20, 19957.89+0.89Minor457
13Mar 21, 19787.79+0.79Minor676
14Jun 1, 19967.73+0.73Minor420
15Aug 9, 19927.56+0.56Minor169
16Mar 26, 19877.23+0.23Minor217
17Jun 20, 19907.23+0.23Minor217
18Jun 13, 20057.23+0.23Minor120
19Mar 15, 19857.18+0.18Minor406
20Mar 5, 19706.63−0.37Action369
21Jul 13, 20096.57−0.43Action62
22Apr 8, 20066.55−0.45Action112
23Mar 23, 19796.50−0.50Action105
24Mar 14, 19716.47−0.53Action140
25Mar 12, 19776.38−0.62Action223
26Apr 11, 19996.36−0.64Action119
27Jun 2, 19826.02−0.98Action179
28Mar 6, 19735.99−1.01Below flood stage96
29Jun 25, 20035.91−1.09Below flood stage35
30Jun 3, 20045.87−1.13Below flood stage52
31Mar 30, 20025.54−1.46Below flood stage35
32Jun 19, 19915.48−1.52Below flood stage19
33Mar 13, 19895.19−1.81Below flood stage—
34Mar 12, 19885.11−1.89Below flood stage—
35Mar 13, 19725.07−1.93Below flood stage32
36Apr 11, 19985.02−1.98Below flood stage30
37Mar 4, 19674.79−2.21Below flood stage31
38Jun 16, 20004.75−2.25Below flood stage15
39Feb 25, 19764.39−2.61Below flood stage—
40Mar 16, 19804.13−2.87Below flood stage3
41Feb 21, 19743.95−3.05Below flood stage1

Other gauges in McCook County

Flood gauges in McCook County
Montrose1,527.01,527.16 ft, Jun 21, 20240
Montrose1,446.01,449.86 ft, Jun 21, 20241

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LVSS2, 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.