U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Severe flooding occurred across South 

Dakota during the spring of 1995. Similar 

to the floods of 1993, high flows began 

during snowmelt and continued as spring 

rains moved into the area. Localized 

flooding resulted from heavy precipitation in the form of snow and rain that 

occurred during late March and April 

over much of the central and eastern parts 

of the State. Unusually heavy spring rains 

followed in late April and May, especially 

in the Black Hills area. Unlike the 1993 

floods, which were confined mostly to the 

James, Vermillion, and Big Sioux River 

Basins, the severe 1995 flooding was 

Statewide. 

The Storms

A narrow band of heavy snow resulted 

from storms along the northern border in 

late February and by early March, snow 

depths were about 20 inches in the northeastern part of the State. Following an 

early March storm, record low temperatures were equaled or exceeded at five 

cities in eastern South Dakota, including 

-32°F at Aberdeen on March 8. A very 

rapid warmup that began on March 10 

caused ice breakup on many streams. 

Heavy precipitation occurred over central 

and eastern South Dakota April 8-12 and 

April 18 producing as much as 6 to 

7 inches of moisture in the form of snow 

and rain. As much as 50 to 60 inches of 

snow fell in the central part of the State 

during the two storms, causing extended 

electrical outages and significant losses of 

newborn livestock. During April 28-30, 

another storm tracked across the southern 

part of the State; southwestern South 

Dakota received 1 to 2 inches of rain, the 

Black Hills of western South Dakota 

received 3 to 8 inches of snow, and the 

south-central and southeastern parts of the 

State received up to an inch of rain.

There were unusually intense rains in 

the western and northern Black Hills 

May 6-10. The storm produced widespread rainfall of 3 to 6 inches in much of 

the Black Hills, with reports of 6 to 

10 inches in the northern Black Hills and 

Floods In South Dakota, 

Spring 1995

flooding that resulted in evacuation of 19 

families from Wakpala and about 200 

people from Bullhead, communities 

located on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in north-central South Dakota. 

Above-normal snow and rainfall during 

late March and April added to the flooding, especially in eastern South Dakota. 

Additional precipitation during late April 

and May caused record stage and flow on 

many streams Statewide (table 2).

foothills. During May 7-10, 8.78 inches of 

precipitation was recorded at the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) precipitation 

gage, Two Bit Gulch near Deadwood. The 

Two Bit Gulch gage recorded 

13.43 inches in May. The rest of the State 

received 1 to 3 inches of rain May 7-10. 

Slow moving, intense thunderstorms over 

Memorial Day weekend in southeast 

South Dakota produced severe weather 

(tornadoes and hail) and more than 

4 inches of rain in some areas. All-time 

record precipitation during March 1 

through May 31 occurred at some locations (table 1) that have 100 or more years 

of record. Precipitation amounts, compiled by the South Dakota State Climatologist for March 1 through May 31 for 

selected National Weather Service 

stations across the State, are shown in 

figure 1.

The Floods

Flooding began in the Grand River and 

the upper James River basins when the 

snowpack began to melt in early to midMarch. Localized flooding during March 

and April also occurred at several locations because of severe backwater from 

ice jams. On March 14, ice jams caused 

1Preliminary National Weather Service data 

(A.R. Bender, State Climatologist, written commun., 

June 1995)

Table 1. Record precipitation during 

March 1 through May 31 for selected 

gages with 100 or more years of record

Location

March-May precipitation, in 

inches

19951

Previous

record

(year)

Faulkton 12.99 12.89 (1991)

Highmore 14.63 13.93 (1991)

Huron 14.96 12.80 (1942)

Mitchell 15.55 15.28 (1942)

Sioux Falls 14.64 13.78 (1920)

Yankton 16.94 15.89 (1883)

0 40 80 MILES

0 40 80 KILOMETERS

15

15

13

11

11

11

9

9

9

9

9

9

13

9

Aberdeen

Watertown

Huron

Sioux

Falls

Yankton

Winner

Mobridge

PIERRE

Camp

Crook

Newell

Lead

Rapid

City

Hot

Springs

8.17

8.88

9.81

12.71

7.54

8.17

15.79

6.49

10.55

10.59

14.96

16.94

14.64

7.40

EXPLANATION

Figure 1. Preliminary National Weather Service precipitation data for March 1 through

May 31, 1995 (A.R. Bender, State Climatologist, written commun., June 1995).

LINE OF EQUAL PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES,

 FOR MARCH 1 THROUGH MAY 31, 1995

PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 1 THROUGH MAY 31, 1995

 AT NWS STATION--Number indicates inches
Table 2. Comparison of peak stage and streamflow data for March 1 through May 31, 1995, to previous maximums at selected 

gaging stations for period of record

[mi2, square miles; ft, feet; ft3/s, cubic feet per second; --, no data, not computed, or not determined; <, less than; >, greater than]

Station 

number Station name

Period

of

record

(water

years)

Contributing

drainage

area,

(mi2)

Flood of March-May 1995 Previous maximum

Peak 

stage 

(ft)

Peak

flow

(ft3/s)

Date

Recurrence 

interval 

range1

(years)

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak

flow

(ft3/s)

Date

06354860 Spring Creek near Herreid 1963-86,

1989-95

220 12.25 1,680 3/15 10-25 12.56 1,570 7/27/93

06354882 Oak Creek near Wakpala 1985-95 356 18.58 5,000 3/14 -- 17.73

18.35

3,780

2--

3/4/86

3/23/87

06402430 Beaver Creek near Pringle 1991-95 45.8 9.10 60 5/7 -- 8.46 28 6/8/93

06402995 French Creek above Stockade 

Lake, near Custer

1991-95 68.7 7.40 375 5/8 10-25 7.31

--

--

320

6/8/91

8/6/91

06403300 French Creek above Fairburn 1982-95 105 3.80 3-- 5/8 -- 2.73 329 3/7/87

06404800 Grace Coolidge Creek near 

Hayward

1990-95 7.48 7.62 378 5/8 -- 7.23 210 6/3/91

06404998 Grace Coolidge Creek near 

Game Lodge, near Custer

1972,

1977-95

25.2 10.86 884 5/8 10-25 12.76

10.84

2--

1,030

2/9/79

9/7/89

06406000 Battle Creek at Hermosa 1950-95 178 12.70 2,360 5/8 10-25 17.72 21,400 6/10/72

06406500 Battle Creek below Hermosa 1951-53,

1989-95

285 9.29 1,360 5/9 -- --

8.57

2,060

--

5/23/52

6/8/93

06406920 Spring Creek above Sheridan 

Lake, near Keystone

1991-95 127 11.84 651 5/8 -- 10.77 455 6/4/91

06407500 Spring Creek near Keystone 1946-47,

1987-95

163 7.15 1,100 5/9 10-25 --

6.94

865

--

6/23/47

6/8/93

06410500 Rapid Creek above Pactola 

Reservoir, at Silver City

1954-95 292 7.88 839 5/8 10-25 10.44 2,060 5/15/65

06423010 Boxelder Creek near Rapid 

City

1978-95 128 33.09 1,050 5/10 <10 --

31.65

253

--

5/18/78

6/17/93

06424000 Elk Creek near Roubaix 1946,

1992-95

21.5 -- 354 5/8 -- 7.87 154 6/8/93

06425100 Elk Creek near Rapid City 1981-95 190 12.05 2,860 5/9 10-25 10.79

11.80

1,560

2

--

5/20/82

2/26/86

06428500 Belle Fourche River at 

Wyoming-South Dakota 

State line

1947-95 3,280 16.33 3

-- 5/10 -- 15.59

14.03

4,400

4,550

6/18/62

6/30/93

06430500 Redwater Creek at WyomingSouth Dakota State line1929-31,

1936-37,

1955-95

471 10.62 1,560 5/9 10-25 12.19 2,440 8/22/73

06430770 Spearfish Creek near Lead 1989-95 63.5 8.20 140 5/8 -- 7.79

7.64

2

--

51

1/29/91

6/8/93

06430800 Annie Creek near Lead 1989-95 3.55 5.94 3

-- 5/8 -- 5.18

4.96

2--

19

3/17/93

6/8/93

06430850 Little Spearfish Creek near 

Lead

1989-95 25.8 5.34 65 5/10 -- 4.95 22 4/25/94

06430898 Squaw Creek near Spearfish 1989-95 6.95 7.89 860 5/8 -- 5.37 96 6/8/93

06430900 Spearfish Creek above 

Spearfish

1989-95 139 7.42 2,400 5/8 -- 5.14 299 6/8/93

06431500 Spearfish Creek at Spearfish 1904,

1947-95

168 10.70 2,600 5/8 25-50 -- 5,000 6/5/04

06432020 Spearfish Creek below 

Spearfish

1989-95 204 7.37 1,550 5/9 -- 5.86

5.31

2--

163

2/9/89

6/6/91

06433000 Redwater River above Belle 

Fourche

1946-95 920 8.83 4,610 5/9 10-25 11.69 16,400 6/6/62

06433500 Hay Creek at Belle Fourche 1954-95 121 10.23 1,310 5/9 100 9.15 930 6/19/72

06436000 Belle Fourche River near 

Fruitdale

1946-95 4,540 14.00 12,000 5/9 10-25 14.32 12,700 5/20/82

06436156 Whitetail Creek at Lead 1989-95 6.15 6.67 3

-- 5/8 -- 3.56 39 7/20/93

06436170 Whitewood Creek at 

Deadwood

1982-95 40.6 10.54 5,000 5/8 25-50 7.54 2,660 5/15/82
1

Recurrence intervals generally only given for stations with 10 or more years of record through 1993. 2Stage-flow relation affected by backwater.

3Peak-flow value is not given because rating analysis and/or indirect-measurement computations were not complete when this Fact Sheet was prepared; contact 

USGS District office in Rapid City to check on status of these computations.

Table 2. Comparison of peak stage and streamflow data for March 1 through May 31, 1995, to previous maximums at selected 

gaging stations for period of record—Continued

Station 

number Station name

Period

of

record

(water

years)

Contributing

drainage

area,

(mi2)

Flood of March-May 1995 Previous maximum

Peak 

stage 

(ft)

Peak

flow

(ft3/s)

Date

Recurrence 

interval 

range1

(years)

Peak 

stage

(ft)

Peak

flow

(ft3/s)

Date

06436180 Whitewood Creek above 

Whitewood 

1983-95 56.3 9.06 3-- 5/8 -- 5.68 2,080 6/5/91

06436190 Whitewood Creek near 

Whitewood

1982-95 77.4 6.01 3-- 5/8 -- 4.52 3,050 5/20/82

06436198 Whitewood Creek above Vale 1983-95 102 5.72 4,200 5/8 10-25 4.32

5.06

3,680

2,520

9/24/86

5/5/93

06436760 Horse Creek above Vale 1981-95 464 18.82 7,800 5/10 10-25 24.80 17,700 5/21/82

06437000 Belle Fourche River near 

Sturgis

1946-95 5,870 17.10 21,500 5/10 25-50 19.10 36,400 5/21/82

06437020 Bear Butte Creek near 

Deadwood

1989-95 16.6 8.85 2,000 5/8 -- 7.70 938 6/5/91

06437500 Bear Butte Creek near Surgis 1946-72,

1990-95

192 10.96 5,460 5/8 10-25 12.45 12,700 6/16/62

06438000 Belle Fourche River near Elm 

Springs

1929-32,

1934-95

7,210 15.29 29,500 5/10 10-25 15.90

18.22

45,100

40,300

6/8/64

5/21/82

06438500 Cheyenne River near 

Plainview

1951-81,

1994-95

21,600 19.57 35,000 5/10 10-25 -- 41,700 5/26/57

06452320 Platte Creek near Platte 1989-95 741 11.29 2,600 5/11 -- 7.24 1,600 6/17/93

06471000 James River at Columbia 1946-95 2,481 18.50

16.95

2

-- 2

1,660 

5/13

5/22

--

<10

16.15

17.11

2,340

2--

5/3/79

3/24/87

06471200 Maple River at North DakotaSouth Dakota State line1957-95 384 12.49 2

3,000 3/16 10-25 16.05 25,930 4/11/69

06471500 Elm River at Westport 1946-95 1,049 17.64

16.99

2

--

4,600

3/16

3/17

10-25 22.11 12,600 4/10/69

06472000 James River near Stratford 1950-72,

1977,

1995

4,860 19.86 3-- 5/18-22 -- 18.18

--

2--

5,580

4/19/69

5/14-15/69

06473000 James River at Ashton 1946-95 5,673 22.39

21.21

2

-- 2

4,500

5/18

5/22

--

25-50

21.17

20.63

2--

5,680

4/13/69

4/24/69

06474000 Turtle Creek near Tulare 1953-56,

1965-81,

1984-95

1,124 14.28 4,300 5/11 10-25 18.51 2

6,000 4/5/69

06475000 James River near Redfield 1950-95 9,793 26.26 9,800 5/15 >100 24.93 7,310 4/13/69

06476000 James River at Huron 1929-32,

1944-95

11,721 16.86 10,000 5/19 50-100 16.70 9,000 4/13/69

06476500 Sand Creek near Alpena 1950-95 261 12.91 1,880 4/20 10-25 14.10

13.35

2--

2,240

3/28/50

3/28/60

06477000 James River near Forestburg 1950-95 13,442 17.26

17.08

2

--

13,000

4/22

5/18

--

25-50

17.16 12,500 4/9/69

06477500 Firesteel Creek near

Mt. Vernon

1956-95 521 14.98 5,400 5/10 10-25 17.12

15.34

2--

6,610

4/3/69

4/4/69

06478000 James River near Mitchell 1954-58,

1966-72,

1995

14,916 20.43 16,200 4/23 50-100 18.32 13,800 4/11/69

06478052 Enemy Creek near Mitchell 1975-87,

1989-95

163 13.55 3,500 5/10 10-25 15.15 4,280 6/22/84

06478300 Dry Creek near Parkston 1955-80,

1989-95

97.2 -- 2,900 5/27 25-50 -- 4,210 3/27/60

06478500 James River near Scotland 1929-95 16,505 19.41 18,200 5/29 25-50 20.45 29,400 6/23/84

06478513 James River near Yankton 1982-95 16,794 21.46 20,800 5/30 10-25 24.34 26,400 6/23/84

06478690 West Fork Vermillion River 

near Parker

1962-95 377 12.35 4,470 4/19 10-25 13.14 6,300 5/8/93
stations and 22 crest-stage gages in South 

Dakota. The USGS also operates 47 precipitation gages in the Black Hills and 

one gage near Huron. During and after the 

flood, USGS personnel made flood 

measurements, indirect surveys, and surveyed high-water marks at more than 60 

stations across the State.

At 31 of the streamflow stations, the 

data are relayed by satellite telemetry to 

computers in Rapid City, Huron, and 

Pierre (fig. 3). Data are transmitted every 

15 minutes, and within 30 minutes these 

data generally are available to decision 

makers in the agencies involved in flood 

management. In addition, the USGS and 

cooperating agencies operate a network 

of telephone-accessible LARC and 

telemark gages where critical stage data 

are available on a real-time basis. The 

USGS Statewide data-collection network 

is readily available to local, county, State, 

and Federal agencies and to the public.

Rainfall and streamflow data in this 

report are provisional and subject to 

change upon further review by personnel of the National Weather Service 

and the U.S. Geological Survey.

—R.W. Teller, M. J. Burr, and D.L. Rahder

For more information 

contact:

District Chief

1608 Mountain View Road

Rapid City, SD 57702

(605) 394-1780

Figure 3. Schematic diagram showing how streamflow data are transmitted, processed, and distributed.

Geostationary

Operational

Environmental

Satellite

(GOES)

Streamgage

Earth

receiving

station

U. S.

Geological

Survey

computers

Water

Management

Agencies

Severe flooding occurred in western 

South Dakota and the Black Hills 

May 8-10. Flash flooding occurred across 

much of Butte, Custer, Lawrence, southwestern Meade, and western Pennington 

Counties. Damage to roads and bridges 

was widespread; rock and mudslides 

closed highways in Sturgis and in Boulder 

Canyon near Deadwood. Some smaller 

communities were isolated by road washouts. Many homes suffered water damage. About 120 Belle Fourche residents 

were forced from their homes on May 9 

due to rising floodwaters. As the storms 

moved eastward, the flooding worsened 

in eastern South Dakota.

Streamflow on the James River was 

above flood stage from mid-March 

through May 31, 1995, and is compared 

in figure 2 to period-of-record and 1993 

values at six gaging stations. The Missouri River reservoirs formed by the four 

main-stem dams in South Dakota were 

virtually full at the end of May and Lake 

Oahe was approaching a record elevation. 

Other lake levels in eastern South Dakota, 

especially in the northeast, exceeded 

levels that had not been reached in 

100 years.

Of the 143 streamflow-gaging stations 

operated by the USGS in South Dakota, 

34 stations that are listed in table 2 had 

record peak flow or stage. The other 22 

stations listed in table 2 did not have 

record peaks, but recurrence intervals of 

the peaks exceeded 10 years. Several of 

the stations with record peaks have 

periods of record less than 10 years. Most 

of the stations listed in table 2 had peak 

flow with recurrence intervals between 10 

and 25 years. A few stations had peak 

flows with recurrence intervals in the 25- 

to 50-year range or the 50- to 100-year 

range. The May 9 peak flow of 1,310 ft3/s 

for Hay Creek at Belle Fourche had a 

recurrence interval equal to 100 years, 

and the May 15 peak flow of 9,800 ft3/s 

for the James River near Redfield 

exceeded 100 years.

As a result of the severe storms and 

widespread flooding, 38 counties in South 

Dakota were approved for disaster relief 

by a Presidential Declaration signed on 

May 26. Interstate Highway 90 and many 

State and county highways were overtopped and subsequently closed for varying periods of time. Extensive agricultural 

damage occurred; for example, only 

55 percent of the State’s corn crop was 

planted as of June 4, compared to a 5-year 

average of 91 percent. By the end of May, 

the South Dakota Division of Emergency 

Management, working with FEMA, had 

conducted damage assessments in 

35 counties and found that 1995 flood 

damage to State infrastructure already 

equaled the original 1993 flood-damage 

estimates.

Monitoring Streamflow

The USGS operates a network of 121 

continuous-record streamflow-gaging 

June 1995 Fact Sheet FS–164–95

500 400 300 200 100 0 COLUMBIA GAGE ASHTON GAGE HURON GAGE FORESTBURG GAGE SCOTLAND GAGE YANKTON GAGE

MEAN FOR PERIOD

 OF RECORD

1993 MEAN

1995 MEAN

MEAN MARCH-MAY STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET

PER SECOND

RIVER MILES UPSTREAM FROM MOUTH

Figure 2. Mean March 1 through May 31 streamflow at James River gaging stations

for period of record and 1993 and 1995.

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0