Rapid Creek is a tributary of the Cheyenne River, approximately 86 mi (138 km) long, in South Dakota in the United States.[1] The creek's name comes from the Sioux Indians of the area, for the many rapids in the stream.[4]

Course

It rises in southwestern South Dakota, in the Black Hills National Forest in the Black Hills in Pennington County. It flows east, is joined by Castle Creek, past Silver City and through the Pactola Reservoir. Emerging from the Black Hills, it flows through Rapid City, past Farmingdale, and joins the Cheyenne River approximately 13 mi (21 km) southwest of Wasta.

1972 flood

Debris along Rapid Creek after 1972 flood

The Rapid Creek is most noted for the Black Hills flood of 1972, in which 238 people perished in Rapid City and in the Black Hills.[5] Since the flood, a flood plain has been established throughout the city making development along the banks inconsiderable.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rapid Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Rapid Creek Watershed Report". watersgeo.epa.gov. US EPA. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. University of South Dakota. p. 52.
  5. ^ "The 1972 Black Hills-Rapid City Flood Revisited". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2007-10-15.

External links