Belle Fourche Reservoir water level — South Dakota
Belle Fourche Reservoir in South Dakota was last measured at 58.62 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:15 AM (UTC-06:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−4.3 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−4.3 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 06435000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 205 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Belle Fourche Reservoir
Belle Fourche Reservoir is held back by Belle Fourche Dam (also recorded as Belle Fourche Reservoir;Orman) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 122 ft high and running 6,262 ft along its crest , built across OWL CREEK in Butte County , near NONE . It was completed in 1911 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter . It also serves irrigation;recreation.
Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 70 ft wide.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 9,861 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 246,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 192,077 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 4,500 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DENR.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record SD01100 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Belle Fourche Reservoir compares nearby
3 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pactola Reservoir | SD | 59.33 ft | 75 km |
| Deerfield Reservoir | SD | 4.49 ft | 79 km |
| Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain | SD | 1,351.58 ft | 361 km |
| White Earth Lake | ND | 2,153.35 ft | 419 km |
| Lake Darling | ND | 1,597.97 ft | 444 km |
| E. Branch Short Creek Reservoir | ND | 1,887.60 ft | 478 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Belle Fourche Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:15 AM (UTC-06:00), the pool elevation was 58.62 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Belle Fourche Reservoir full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 06435000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in South Dakota
See every lake tracked in South Dakota, or read the methodology behind these figures.