TornadoLiveMap

Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant — water level right now

Codington County, South Dakota · NWS gauge KMPS2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
21
minor flood stage
 
23.71
record crest
set 1997-04-06
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 19
minor · 21
moderate · 22
major · 22.5
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage22.5extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage22some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage21low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage19water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
123.711997-04-06+2.71 above
222.572010-06-22+1.57 above
321.822009-03-26+0.82 above
421.682019-03-30+0.68 above
521.532011-04-09+0.53 above
621.522023-04-16+0.52 above
721.142007-04-26+0.14 above
820.652018-04-240.35 below
920.062008-06-190.94 below
1019.952020-04-081.05 below
1119.41986-05-061.6 below
1219.272009-12-311.73 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Big Sioux River at Lake Kampeska 3 mi away · loading… Big Sioux River at Watertown Sioux Conifer Road 3 mi away · loading… Big Sioux River at Watertown Broadway Avenue 4 mi away · loading… Pelican Lake near Watertown 4 mi away · loading… South Branch Tributary Mud Creek near Rauville 5 mi away · loading… Big Sioux River near Watertown 6 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDKMPS2
USGS site06479449
CountyCodington
StateSouth Dakota
NWS forecast officeAberdeen
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates44.917, -97.187
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant

Is Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 21 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant?

major flood stage 22.5 ft, moderate flood stage 22 ft, minor flood stage 21 ft, action stage 19 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Lake Kampeska at Watertown Water Plant?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 23.71 ft, reached on 1997-04-06 — that is 2.71 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Aberdeen and local emergency management.