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Oak Creek near Wakpala

Highest listed crest 19.83 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft34 crests since 1985

The Oak Creek near Wakpala crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1985 to 2025. The highest, 19.83 ft on March 27, 1997, was major flooding, 9.83 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.83 ft
March 27, 1997; 7,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
7
12th of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 21, 2025
11.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Corson 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, Oak Creek near Wakpala
Action stage9.01Jun 9, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.08May 21, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.08Apr 12, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.07Mar 31, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1985 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Oak Creek near Wakpala, 1985 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Mar 18, 1985: 11.84 ft, minor flooding; 1,320 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1986: 17.73 ft, major flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1987: 18.35 ft, major flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1988: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 143 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1989: 14.89 ft, moderate flooding; 2,140 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1990: 4.59 ft, below flood stage; 43 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1991: 7.93 ft, below flood stage; 440 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1992: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 426 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1993: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 719 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1994: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 664 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1995: 18.62 ft, major flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1996: 13.69 ft, moderate flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1997: 19.83 ft, major flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1998: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 1,290 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1999: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,420 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2000: 8.87 ft, below flood stage; 653 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 2001: 15.33 ft, moderate flooding; 2,290 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2002: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 38 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2003: 4.58 ft, below flood stage; 35 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2004: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 900 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2005: 9.64 ft, action stage; 841 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2007: 14.37 ft, moderate flooding; 1,990 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 8.63 ft, below flood stage; 657 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2009: 19.52 ft, major flooding; 7,990 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2010: 14.04 ft, moderate flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2011: 14.35 ft, moderate floodingMar 13, 2012: 5.94 ft, below flood stage; 250 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 12.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2014: 14.95 ft, moderate flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2015: 17.46 ft, major flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2016: 6.65 ft, below flood stage; 404 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2019: 16.95 ft, major flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2023: 14.01 ft, moderate flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2025: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 830 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.83 ft, Mar 27, 1997 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Oak Creek near Wakpala 1980s: 4 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 6 2020s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Oak Creek near Wakpala
1Mar 27, 199719.83+9.83Major7,500
2Mar 23, 200919.52+9.52Major7,990
3Mar 14, 199518.62+8.62Major3,500
4Mar 23, 198718.35+8.35Major2,500
5Apr 4, 198617.73+7.73Major3,780
6Jul 2, 201517.46+7.46Major3,100
7Mar 31, 201916.95+6.95Major7,500
8Jul 17, 200115.33+5.33Moderate2,290
9Jun 18, 201414.95+4.95Moderate2,250
10Mar 26, 198914.89+4.89Moderate2,140
11Jun 14, 200714.37+4.37Moderate1,990
12Mar 20, 201114.35+4.35Moderate—
13Mar 23, 201014.04+4.04Moderate2,070
14Apr 12, 202314.01+4.01Moderate1,970
15Mar 12, 199613.69+3.69Moderate1,600
16May 11, 199912.48+2.48Minor1,420
17May 27, 201312.19+2.19Minor1,560
18Mar 18, 198511.84+1.84Minor1,320
19Aug 26, 199811.80+1.80Minor1,290
20May 21, 202511.50+1.50Minor830
21Jul 28, 199311.02+1.02Minor719
22Mar 20, 199410.60+0.60Minor664
23Mar 10, 200410.34+0.34Minor900
24Jun 9, 20059.64−0.36Action841
25Mar 8, 20008.87−1.13Below flood stage653
26Jun 12, 20088.63−1.37Below flood stage657
27Jun 4, 19917.93−2.07Below flood stage440
28Aug 4, 19927.84−2.16Below flood stage426
29Apr 18, 20166.65−3.35Below flood stage404
30Jun 14, 19886.01−3.99Below flood stage143
31Mar 13, 20125.94−4.06Below flood stage250
32Aug 19, 19904.59−5.41Below flood stage43
33Mar 17, 20034.58−5.42Below flood stage35
34Apr 1, 20024.53−5.47Below flood stage38

Other gauges in Corson County

Flood gauges in Corson County
Little Eagle15.021.27 ft, Mar 17, 20112

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WKPS2, 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.