RIVER GAUGE · BIG SIOUX RIVER
Big Sioux River near Watertown
Codington County, South Dakota
Water level3.86 ft
Flow15 cfs
Last readingSep 16, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC (last recorded)
Action9 ft
Minor flood10 ft
Moderate flood11 ft
Major flood12 ft
The past week
Loading chart…
What floods at each level
- 20 ft
The bridge at the gaging location is overtopped
- 19 ft
The bridge 1 mile south of the gage is overtopped
- 16 ft
The water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gage and the bridge 1 mile south of the gage
- 13 ft
Flooding begins to affect the city of watertown and the sidewalk on the highway 81 bridge is overtopped
- 12.5 ft
County roads begin to flood
- 11.5 ft
Significant amounts of pasture and crop land are flooded
- 9 ft
The lowest banks are overtopped and minimal areas of pasture land will be flooded
Highest crests on record
| Date | Level | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 6, 2001 | 12.33 ft | 8,000 cfs |
| Apr 4, 1997 | 12.09 ft | 7,820 cfs |
| Apr 12, 2023 | 11.85 ft | 6,450 cfs |
More on Big Sioux River
UpstreamBig Sioux River near Florence
DownstreamBig Sioux River at Lake Kampeska
Big Sioux River near Brandon
Big Sioux River near Bruce
Big Sioux River near Brookings
Big Sioux River near Estelline
Big Sioux River above Flandreau
Big Sioux River near Jefferson
Big Sioux River near Richland
Big Sioux River below Watertown
Big Sioux River above Canton
Big Sioux River near Castlewood
Get an alert when Big Sioux River rises
Save this gauge in the free StormCast app and pick the level that matters to you. Your phone goes off when the water gets there.
