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Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse

Highest listed crest 27.79 ftFlood stage 21.0 ft67 crests since 1955

The Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 67 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2022. The highest, 27.79 ft on March 25, 2019, was major flooding, 6.79 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Moreau River (SD) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.79 ft
March 25, 2019
Flood stage
21.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
8
9th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
March 25, 2019
27.79 ft, major flooding
Location
Dewey 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, Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse
Action stage19.04May 29, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.03Jun 20, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.03Jun 18, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.08Mar 25, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

67 crests from 1955 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse, 1955 to 2022 0102030ft Flood stage 21.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 9, 1955: 6.49 ft, below flood stage; 530 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1956: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1957: 15.70 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1958: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1959: 7.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1960: 13.09 ft, below flood stage; 6,080 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1961: 12.81 ft, below flood stage; 5,720 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1962: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1963: 9.15 ft, below flood stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1964: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1965: 13.70 ft, below flood stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1966: 20.02 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 20.07 ft, action stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1968: 9.33 ft, below flood stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1969: 15.17 ft, below flood stage; 7,370 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1970: 14.78 ft, below flood stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1971: 17.64 ft, below flood stage; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1972: 26.20 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1973: 12.29 ft, below flood stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1974: 4.43 ft, below flood stage; 770 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1975: 17.99 ft, below flood stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1976: 16.34 ft, below flood stage; 8,600 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1977: 9.29 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1978: 25.31 ft, major flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1979: 7.81 ft, below flood stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1980: 2.87 ft, below flood stage; 333 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1980: 5.85 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1982: 26.00 ft, major flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1982: 10.22 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1984: 10.27 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1985: 13.35 ft, below flood stage; 5,920 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1986: 19.77 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1987: 23.79 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1988: 8.77 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1989: 11.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,820 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1990: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1991: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1992: 5.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1993: 18.02 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1994: 23.25 ft, moderate flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1995: 18.42 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 19.14 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1997: 27.68 ft, major floodingJun 23, 1998: 12.29 ft, below flood stage; 5,820 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1999: 10.35 ft, below flood stage; 4,320 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2000: 9.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2001: 22.58 ft, minor flooding; 5,500 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2002: 3.16 ft, below flood stage; 159 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2003: 14.02 ft, below flood stage; 7,530 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2004: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2004: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2006: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 3,460 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2007: 7.97 ft, below flood stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 2008: 25.56 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2009: 25.37 ft, major flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2010: 23.63 ft, moderate flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2011: 26.92 ft, major flooding; 34,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2012: 5.36 ft, below flood stage; 543 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 9.38 ft, below flood stage; 4,040 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2015: 12.26 ft, below flood stage; 5,970 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2016: 8.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,320 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2017: 10.27 ft, below flood stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2019: 27.79 ft, major floodingMay 24, 2020: 13.80 ft, below flood stage; 8,010 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2021: 7.51 ft, below flood stage; 2,410 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2022: 10.08 ft, below flood stage; 4,280 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.79 ft, Mar 25, 2019 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 67 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Moreau River (SD) near Whitehorse
1Mar 25, 201927.79+6.79Major—
2Mar 21, 199727.68+6.68Major—
3Mar 20, 201126.92+5.92Major34,200
4Mar 14, 197226.20+5.20Major21,000
5May 24, 198226.00+5.00Major27,700
6Jun 8, 200825.56+4.56Major25,000
7Apr 17, 200925.37+4.37Major25,100
8Mar 24, 197825.31+4.31Major25,600
9Mar 23, 198723.79+2.79Moderate21,200
10Jun 18, 201023.63+2.63Moderate21,500
11Mar 5, 199423.25+2.25Moderate10,000
12Mar 13, 200122.58+1.58Minor5,500
13Jun 20, 201422.33+1.33Minor20,100
14May 22, 196221.000.00Minor17,500
15Jun 16, 196720.07−0.93Action14,500
16Mar 17, 196620.02−0.98Action14,400
17May 11, 198619.77−1.23Action14,000
18May 29, 199619.14−1.86Action12,300
19Jun 23, 199518.42−2.58Below flood stage11,300
20Jul 22, 199318.02−2.98Below flood stage10,700
21May 11, 197517.99−3.01Below flood stage10,900
22Mar 17, 197117.64−3.36Below flood stage10,300
23Jun 19, 197616.34−4.66Below flood stage8,600
24May 25, 195715.70−5.30Below flood stage10,100
25Mar 24, 196915.17−5.83Below flood stage7,370
26May 9, 197014.78−6.22Below flood stage7,260
27May 4, 200314.02−6.98Below flood stage7,530
28May 24, 202013.80−7.20Below flood stage8,010
29May 29, 196513.70−7.30Below flood stage6,500
30Mar 21, 198513.35−7.65Below flood stage5,920
31May 25, 196013.09−7.91Below flood stage6,080
32Jun 14, 196112.81−8.19Below flood stage5,720
33Mar 3, 197312.29−8.71Below flood stage4,000
34Jun 23, 199812.29−8.71Below flood stage5,820
35May 18, 201512.26−8.74Below flood stage5,970
36May 2, 198911.05−9.95Below flood stage4,820
37Mar 21, 195610.90−10.10Below flood stage5,000
38Jun 9, 199910.35−10.65Below flood stage4,320
39Jun 17, 198410.27−10.73Below flood stage3,780
40Feb 26, 201710.27−10.73Below flood stage3,000
41Oct 13, 198210.22−10.78Below flood stage3,740
42May 23, 199110.20−10.80Below flood stage4,050
43May 13, 202210.08−10.92Below flood stage4,280
44Apr 25, 20069.97−11.03Below flood stage3,460
45May 3, 19649.70−11.30Below flood stage3,200
46Apr 27, 20009.53−11.47Below flood stage3,680
47May 30, 20139.38−11.62Below flood stage4,040
48Jun 8, 19689.33−11.67Below flood stage3,120
49Jul 8, 19779.29−11.71Below flood stage3,160
50Jun 20, 19639.15−11.85Below flood stage3,130

The worst floods along the Moreau River (SD)

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

March 25, 2019: 27.79 ft here, major flooding

  • FaithSD · Mar 25, 2019 · 19.98 ft · Moderate

March 20, 2011: 26.92 ft here, major flooding

  • FaithSD · Mar 17, 2011 · 19.92 ft · Moderate

May 24, 1982: 26.00 ft here, major flooding

  • FaithSD · May 22, 1982 · 18.04 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Moreau River (SD)

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

Flood gauges on the Moreau River (SD)
FaithSD16.021.90 ft, Apr 9, 19443
Whitehorse this gaugeSD21.027.79 ft, Mar 25, 20198

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHIS2, 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.