Pactola Reservoir
South Dakota — Water Level & Flood Stage
Located in Pennington County, South Dakota. Live water level data from USGS, updated every 15 minutes.
Current Water Level
Gage Height
Loading...
Streamflow
Loading...
Last Reading
Loading...
This is an NWS forecast point (LID: PACS2). Live data may be limited. View on NWS AHPS →
Flood Stages
Action Stage
4580.2 ft
55,972 cfs
Flood stages defined by the National Weather Service. Gage height data from USGS Water Resources.
What Floods at Each Level
4655 ft
Dam Crest Elevation
4651.7 ft
Elevation that would produce max discharge through the spillway, 245K cfs.
4621.5 ft
Reservoir capacity 99K acre ft. Top of flood control zone or when uncontrolled flow over spillway begins.
4590 ft
This would be a record high pool elevation
4585 ft
Flooding of timber stands adjacent to the reservoir and the marina and other developed recreation facilities on the reservoir.
4580.2 ft
Normal Pool Elevation - Top of Active Conservation
4456.1 ft
Top of Inactive Conservation
4440 ft
Top of Dead Pool
Impact statements from the National Weather Service, describing what typically happens at each water level.
7-Day Water Level Chart
Loading chart data...
Historic Crests
| Date | Stage | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2015 | 4589.46 ft | -9,999 cfs |
| Jun 28, 2015 | 4589.46 ft | -9,999 cfs |
| Jun 4, 2019 | 4588.63 ft | — |
| Jun 4, 2019 | 4588.63 ft | — |
| May 18, 1965 | 4585.87 ft | -9,999 cfs |
About This Gauge
NWS LID
PACS2
County
Pennington, SD
Coordinates
44.0722°N, 103.4881°W
Get Flood Alerts for Pactola Reservoir
StormCast monitors this gauge and sends a push notification to your phone when the water level crosses into a new flood category — even at 3 AM.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current water level of Pactola Reservoir?
The Pactola Reservoir gauge is maintained by USGS and reports water levels every 15 minutes. Visit this page to see the latest reading updated live, or download StormCast to get push alerts when levels rise.
What is flood stage for Pactola Reservoir?
This gauge has NWS-defined flood categories. Check the flood stages section above for current thresholds.
How do I get alerts when this river rises?
Download StormCast free on Google Play, go to River Gauges, and add Pactola Reservoir to your watchlist. StormCast will send a push notification to your phone whenever the water level crosses into a new NWS flood category — even when your screen is off.
Where is the Pactola Reservoir gauge located?
The gauge is located in Pennington County, South Dakota at coordinates 44.0722°N, 103.4881°W. Data is provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service.
On This River
More Resources
Source & Notes
Data provided by: Observations courtesy of the USBR, Observations courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- River forecasts for this location take into account past and future precipitation. The stages/flows that will occur may be different if future rainfall is different than forecast.
- Gauge reading may be affected by ice.