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White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma

Highest listed crest 25.02 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft74 crests since 1960

The White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 74 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2025. The highest, 25.02 ft on March 16, 2011, was major flooding, 8.02 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the White River (NE-SD) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.02 ft
March 16, 2011; 27,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
1
62nd of 155 gauges in South Dakota
Most recent flood crest
March 2, 2020
17.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Lyman 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, White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma
Action stage15.05Jun 21, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.05Mar 2, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.012Mar 25, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.01Mar 16, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

74 crests from 1960 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma, 1960 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Mar 27, 1960: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1961: 6.46 ft, below flood stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1962: 11.67 ft, below flood stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1963: 8.02 ft, below flood stage; 9,850 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1964: 8.43 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1965: 8.69 ft, below flood stage; 13,100 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1966: 14.24 ft, below flood stage; 33,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1967: 10.75 ft, below flood stage; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1968: 12.73 ft, below flood stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1969: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1970: 8.40 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1971: 9.35 ft, below flood stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1972: 7.77 ft, below flood stage; 8,360 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1973: 7.93 ft, below flood stage; 6,960 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1974: 6.55 ft, below flood stage; 3,770 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1975: 8.72 ft, below flood stage; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1976: 7.26 ft, below flood stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1977: 9.79 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 23.59 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1979: 9.52 ft, below flood stage; 11,800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1980: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1981: 7.83 ft, below flood stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1982: 19.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,500 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1982: 11.96 ft, below flood stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1983: 12.57 ft, below flood stage; 20,900 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1984: 8.96 ft, below flood stage; 6,290 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1985: 8.74 ft, below flood stage; 5,780 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1986: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1986: 14.64 ft, below flood stage; 34,600 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1987: 10.91 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1988: 12.08 ft, below flood stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1989: 9.52 ft, below flood stage; 7,150 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1990: 10.42 ft, below flood stage; 7,980 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1991: 14.10 ft, below flood stage; 30,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1992: 9.59 ft, below flood stage; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1993: 17.14 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 24.70 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1995: 14.65 ft, below flood stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1996: 22.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1996: 15.74 ft, action stage; 24,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1997: 23.84 ft, moderate flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1997: 18.53 ft, minor flooding; 33,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1998: 12.67 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1999: 21.10 ft, moderate flooding; 42,400 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2000: 12.81 ft, below flood stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2001: 24.44 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 2001: 14.98 ft, below flood stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2002: 10.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2003: 10.98 ft, below flood stage; 4,820 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2004: 12.91 ft, below flood stage; 6,690 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2005: 13.68 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2008: 19.39 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 20.03 ft, moderate flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2010: 20.81 ft, moderate flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2011: 21.37 ft, moderate flooding; 38,785 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2011: 25.02 ft, major flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2012: 10.38 ft, below flood stage; 3,470 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2013: 12.03 ft, below flood stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2013: 14.43 ft, below flood stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2014: 16.31 ft, action stageJun 7, 2015: 15.56 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2016: 14.54 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2017: 13.80 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 2017: 12.93 ft, below flood stage; 7,130 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2018: 15.62 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2019: 24.87 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 2019: 20.45 ft, moderate flooding; 39,300 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2020: 17.02 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2020: 12.46 ft, below flood stage; 4,370 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2021: 11.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2021: 11.64 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2023: 14.78 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2024: 16.02 ft, action stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2025: 10.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.02 ft, Mar 16, 2011 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 74 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma
1Mar 16, 201125.02+8.02Major27,000
2Mar 19, 201924.87+7.87Moderate—
3Mar 4, 199424.70+7.70Moderate25,000
4Mar 15, 200124.44+7.44Moderate—
5Feb 20, 199723.84+6.84Moderate29,100
6Mar 14, 197823.59+6.59Moderate25,000
7Feb 11, 199622.30+5.30Moderate—
8Feb 18, 201121.37+4.37Moderate38,785
9May 10, 199921.10+4.10Moderate42,400
10Mar 11, 201020.81+3.81Moderate33,000
11Mar 1, 198620.80+3.80Moderate13,000
12Mar 25, 201920.45+3.45Moderate39,300
13Feb 11, 200920.03+3.03Moderate25,000
14Jun 5, 200819.39+2.39Minor33,800
15Feb 22, 198219.12+2.12Minor5,500
16Jun 5, 199718.53+1.53Minor33,700
17Mar 8, 199317.14+0.14Minor17,000
18Mar 2, 202017.02+0.02Minor—
19Mar 12, 201416.31−0.69Action—
20Jun 21, 202416.02−0.98Action12,900
21May 29, 199615.74−1.26Action24,800
22Jun 21, 201815.62−1.38Action11,100
23Jun 7, 201515.56−1.44Action11,600
24Apr 2, 200114.98−2.02Below flood stage14,500
25Jun 12, 202314.78−2.22Below flood stage11,200
26May 29, 199514.65−2.35Below flood stage22,100
27May 9, 198614.64−2.36Below flood stage34,600
28Apr 30, 201614.54−2.46Below flood stage11,700
29Oct 17, 201314.43−2.57Below flood stage12,200
30Mar 13, 196614.24−2.76Below flood stage33,400
31Jun 5, 199114.10−2.90Below flood stage30,200
32Feb 18, 201713.80−3.20Below flood stage—
33May 14, 200513.68−3.32Below flood stage11,700
34Apr 13, 201712.93−4.07Below flood stage7,130
35Jun 11, 200412.91−4.09Below flood stage6,690
36Apr 27, 200012.81−4.19Below flood stage8,310
37Jun 10, 196812.73−4.27Below flood stage27,000
38Jun 18, 199812.67−4.33Below flood stage12,400
39May 4, 198312.57−4.43Below flood stage20,900
40May 19, 202012.46−4.54Below flood stage4,370
41May 26, 198812.08−4.92Below flood stage18,000
42Jun 24, 201312.03−4.97Below flood stage5,130
43May 22, 198211.96−5.04Below flood stage20,600
44Jul 15, 196211.67−5.33Below flood stage23,200
45Oct 16, 202111.64−5.36Below flood stage3,330
46Mar 22, 202111.53−5.47Below flood stage3,200
47Mar 27, 196011.43−5.57Below flood stage23,400
48Mar 21, 200310.98−6.02Below flood stage4,820
49Mar 22, 198710.91−6.09Below flood stage13,700
50Jun 17, 196710.75−6.25Below flood stage19,000

The worst floods along the White River (NE-SD)

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

March 16, 2011: 25.02 ft here, major flooding

  • White RiverSD · Mar 15, 2011 · 18.21 ft · Major · its highest
  • InteriorSD · Mar 13, 2011 · 15.52 ft · Moderate

March 19, 2019: 24.87 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the White River (NE-SD)

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

Flood gauges on the White River (NE-SD)
Nebraska-South Dakota State LineSD15.020.11 ft, May 16, 20153
OglalaSD19.023.61 ft, Jun 16, 19672
InteriorSD14.016.08 ft, May 22, 20191
KadokaSD15.019.50 ft, Mar 8, 19051
White RiverSD14.018.21 ft, Mar 15, 20111
Oacoma this gaugeSD17.025.02 ft, Mar 16, 20111

Other gauges in Lyman County

Flood gauges in Lyman County
Presho12.014.64 ft, May 27, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OACS2, 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.