TornadoLiveMap

Missouri River at Big Bend Dam — water level right now

Lyman County, South Dakota · NWS gauge BBDS2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
1422.5
minor flood stage
 
1422.1
record crest
set 1991-06-04
–
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 · 1422
minor · 1422.5
moderate · 1423
major · 1440
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage1440extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage1423some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage1422.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage1422water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
11422.11991-06-040.4 below
21421.91971-04-220.6 below
31421.82011-06-220.7 below
41421.81999-01-010.7 below
51421.61979-01-010.9 below
61421.51986-01-011 below
71421.52012-08-151 below
81421.52019-02-041 below
91421.52004-01-011 below
101421.51980-01-011 below
111421.51982-01-011 below
121421.51983-01-011 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

Elm Creek (SD) near Gann Valley 15 mi away · loading… Missouri River at Chamberlain 16 mi away · loading… White River (NE-SD) near Oacoma 21 mi away · loading… Medicine Creek (SD) near Kennebec 23 mi away · loading… Cedar Creek (Central SD) near Presho 32 mi away · loading… Medicine Knoll Creek near Canning 38 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBBDS2
USGS site06442700
CountyLyman
StateSouth Dakota
NWS forecast officeAberdeen
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates44.038, -99.446
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 Missouri River at Big Bend Dam

Is Missouri River at Big Bend Dam 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 1422.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Missouri River at Big Bend Dam?

major flood stage 1440 ft, moderate flood stage 1423 ft, minor flood stage 1422.5 ft, action stage 1422 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Missouri River at Big Bend Dam?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 1422.1 ft, reached on 1991-06-04 — that is -0.4 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.