Rivermatics

USGS Streamgage 06437020

Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD

Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD is USGS streamgage 06437020 in South Dakota, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10120202. It sits on the Bear Butte Creek, alongside 2 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 16 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1988. Typical flow runs near 4.5 cfs in July and 10.3 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.

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Gauge details

State
South Dakota
Drainage area
16 sq mi
Gauge elevation
4,775 ft
Subbasin (HUC-8)
10120202
Coordinates
44.33556, -103.635
USGS site number
06437020
Records begin
1988-10-01 (38 years)
Rivermatics forecast
14-day flow outlook

14-day flow forecast

Based on observations through for Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.

Forecast daily mean discharge in cubic feet per second, by date
Date Low p10 Expected p50 High p90 Range
0.6 0.7 0.7
0.6 0.7 0.9
0.6 0.7 0.9
0.6 0.7 0.9
0.6 0.7 0.9
0.6 0.7 0.9
0.9 1.7 5.7
0.8 1.5 3.7
0.7 1.2 2.3
0.7 1 1.7
0.6 0.9 1.5
0.6 0.9 1.5
0.6 0.9 1.4
0.6 0.9 1.3

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.

Typical flow by month

Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 38 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.

Historical monthly discharge percentiles in cubic feet per second
Month Low p10 Typical p50 High p90 Range
January 0.8 1.8 3.4
February 0.8 1.7 4.1
March 1.5 3.6 13.4
April 3 10.3 48.5
May 4.2 14.6 67.5
June 1.9 9.4 45
July 1.1 4.5 13.6
August 0.7 2.7 7.7
September 0.6 2.2 4.9
October 0.8 2.5 6.8
November 0.9 2.3 5.9
December 0.7 2 4.4

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD normally run highest?
May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 14.6 cfs, against 1.7 cfs in February, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
What is a normal flow for Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD?
It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 1.8 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 0.8 and 3.4 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
How long has Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD been measured?
Discharge records at USGS site 06437020 begin in 1988, about 38 years, covering roughly 9,086 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
Is there a flow forecast for Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD?
Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
Where is Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD?
The gauge sits at 44.33556, -103.635, in South Dakota, in hydrologic subbasin 10120202, at an elevation of about 4,775 feet, draining roughly 16 square miles.
Can I use Bear Butte Creek near Deadwood, SD data for flood or safety decisions?
No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.

Upstream and downstream on the Bear Butte Creek

Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Bear Butte Creek in full.

Other gauges in this subbasin