Big Sioux River near Bruce Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Big Sioux River near Bruce in SD, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location SD, United States
- Watershed middle big sioux
- Primary gauge 06479770 (USGS)
About Big Sioux River near Bruce
Big Sioux River near Bruce sits in the Middle Big Sioux watershed in South Dakota.
Season by season
On this river, the yearly pattern is anchored by spring. The typical high point is in May, at 6.19 ft (1.89 m). The typical low point is in October, at 3.49 ft (1.06 m). That 32.4 in (82.3 cm) swing is the range a dock, intake, or river crossing has to live with from one season to the next.
For someone watching the water, that means spring is the time to expect the largest shift, while late summer into fall usually runs lower. The station also gives a sense of what the river has done in dry periods: the record low is 2.49 ft (0.76 m) in August 2021.
Records and rises
The highest level in the station record is 10.73 ft (3.27 m) in March 2019. That stands well above the typical May level and shows how far the river can move outside its seasonal pattern.
The fast-rising side of the hydrograph is not filled in here, so there is nothing specific to report about the quickest 24-hour rise. With this gauge, the key practical point is the seasonal swing itself: it is large enough that conditions for boating, bank access, and shallow crossings can change a lot over the year.
This station has 26 years on record.
Reading the hero number
The number on the page should be read against the median for this calendar day at this station, not as a raw elevation on its own. That comparison tells you whether the river is running above or below what is normal for today, which is the part that matters for local decisions.
This is a USGS station on the Big Sioux River near Bruce, with more than 26 years of record.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
