Rivermatics

USGS Streamgage 06479500

Big Sioux River at Watertown, SD

Big Sioux River at Watertown, SD is USGS streamgage 06479500, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10170201. It drains a watershed of about 806 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1945. Typical flow runs near 16 cfs in July and 70.8 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April.

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Gauge details

Drainage area
806 sq mi
Gauge elevation
1,715 ft
Subbasin (HUC-8)
10170201
Coordinates
44.94246, -97.14619
USGS site number
06479500
Records begin
1945-10-01 (81 years)

Typical flow by month

Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 81 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 0.6 22.2
February 0 0.8 23.1
March 0.1 13.2 210.8
April 3.5 70.8 586.5
May 3.4 57.7 319.9
June 2.9 32 218.1
July 0.2 16 154.8
August 0 3.2 114.2
September 0 1.8 47
October 0.1 2.2 50.9
November 0.1 2.3 44
December 0 1.3 30.5

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Other gauges in this subbasin