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Golden Valley County, North Dakota

29 topographic sheets cover 10 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

2 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

North Dakota within the United States
Golden Valley County within North Dakota

What the record shows

  • 60 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 10 populated places in this county; 10 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

2

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Golden Valley County Courthousebuilding198585002983
Sentinel Butte Public Schoolbuilding198282001313

Wildfire, 2000 to 2020

47 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 47 of them, burning about 966 acres. 19 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural19
Equipment and vehicle use11
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5
Power generation/transmission/distribution4
Railroad operations and maintenance3
Debris and open burning2
Recreation and ceremony2
Fireworks1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 August 2008Natural179 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsBULLION BUTTE FLATS
26 August 2000Natural128 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsSQUARE BUTTE 1
24 August 2002Natural100 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsGRAVEL PIT
20 August 2002Natural69 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsOLSON
26 March 2004Natural61 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsKNUTSON CREEK 2
16 August 2006Natural55 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsKREMERS
10 September 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined49 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Servicenot named
9 September 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined43 acresDakota Prairie National GrasslandsSQUARE BUTTE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1952 to 2025

60 of 225 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 225 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 3 injuries and about $2,468,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail117
Thunderstorm Wind81
Tornado11
Funnel Cloud6
Flash Flood4
Lightning3
Heavy Rain2
Flood1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2011Thunderstorm WindBeach3 hurt, $20,000Tree damage occurred in Beach. Three injuries occurred at the Golden Valley County Fairgrounds when part of a stage being set up was blown over. The injuries were minor.
May 2024HailBeach Muni Arpt$800,000Two inch diameter hail combined with wind gusts to 75 mph to produce extensive damage in the community of Beach. Multiple vehicles sustained damage including dents and broken windows. House damage included broken windows, dented siding, and damaged shingles.
August 1993HailBeach$500,000no account filed
September 2015Thunderstorm WindGolva$450,000Significant and severe damage was done from extreme winds on the leading edge of the line of thunderstorms. Twenty-four consecutive wooden power poles were snapped, brand new storage bins were destroyed, trailers and a camper were flipped, and outbuildings were damaged. Nearly 100 hay bales were rolled, most of them destroyed. There was significant crop damage.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindBeach Muni Arpt$250,000Large tree limbs were down in Beach, with some trees broken and uprooted. Light poles were blown over at the fairgrounds, with lines down onto campers. A few miles south of Beach, a pole barn was severely damaged along with a grain bin. Eight power poles were broken outside of Beach, mainly where trees damaged the lines.
April 2023FloodTrotters$140,000Flooding from snow melt runoff caused significant damages to county infrastructure.
July 2025HailGolva$75,000Hail was driven by 60 mph winds, breaking 3 windows and damaging the siding on a home.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindBeach$50,000The strong thunderstorm winds blew down multiple cottonwood and evergreen trees. Some of the trees were 18 inches in diameter. Power lines were also reported down.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindBeach$25,000The strong winds blew the roof off of a lumberyard building.
August 2008HailBeach$25,000Hail in various sizes up to two and one-quarter inches in diameter fell over the city of Beach for a half hour. Damage was reported to homes in Beach and crops around Beach.
June 1952Tornadonot stated$25,000no account filed
July 2001Thunderstorm WindTrotters$20,000Damage consist of 3 grain bins and one quonset destroyed. Numerous 16 inch tree's flattened and doors blown off buildings.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte$15,000The strong winds blew over a small shed and a camper causing damage. A flagpole was bent over and an old farm building was destroyed.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte$15,000Siding was blown off buildings.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindBeach$15,000Roof blown off of pole barn. Trees down.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindBeach$12,000The strong winds blew down a power line, temporarily disrupting power to parts of Beach.
August 1996HailBeach$12,000no account filed
July 2007Thunderstorm WindGolva$7,000The storm was accompanied by nickel size hail 0.88 inch diameter and very heavy rain. There was some damage to siding.
June 2013Tornado (EF0)Golva$5,000The tornado knocked down six inch in diameter trees on a rural ranch. This tornado was rated as EF0 with estimated wind speeds around 75 mph.
July 1976Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 1952Tornado (F3)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 2006LightningGolva$2,000Lightning strikes in the Golva area started a grass fire that burned 50 hay bales. Report through newspaper.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindGolva-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter.
June 2024Tornado (EFU)Trotters-The tornado touched down in an open field southeast of Trotters and impacted no structures. There was no damage to evaluate. By National Weather Service policy the tornado is rated EFU (Unknown).
July 2020Thunderstorm WindGolva-Thunderstorm wind gusts of 65 mph were estimated by a trained spotter.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte-Local fire department officials estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by the public.
June 2015Tornado (EF1)Trotters-This tornado crossed the state line from Richland County, Montana, in the National Weather Service Glasgow, Montana, County Warning Area, into McKenzie County, North Dakota. It then crossed into Golden Valley County, North Dakota.||The total path length of the tornado was nearly 17 miles. Nearly five of those miles in Richland County, six in McKenzie County, and just over six in Golden Valley County.||No structures were impacted in North Dakota and for those segments it was rated EF0, however, there was EF1 damage in Montana and so the overall tornado is rated EF1. A 79 year old male was injured in Montana as the mobile home he was in, and another mobile home, was damaged. From the EF1 rating, winds were determined to be around 100 mph with the tornado while it was in Montana, with lower speeds in North Dakota.||See StormData entries for this tornado from Richland County and McKenzie County.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte-A trained spotter estimated thunderstorm winds were gusting to 60 mph.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindBeach Muni Arpt-Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 60 mph were reported by the public.
March 2015Thunderstorm WindBeach-The National Weather Service received no reports of damage.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindBeach-The strong thunderstorm wind gusts were reported by the public.
July 2014Funnel CloudBeach-A brief funnel cloud formed near Beach. This funnel cloud did not reach the surface and soon dissipated after developing.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindTrotters-Heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindBeach-Very heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindBeach-Very heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindGolva-Heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte-Strong winds were reported in Sentinel Butte.
May 2011Heavy RainGolva-A storm total rainfall of 1.50 inches was reported.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindBeach-Large hail accompanied the strong winds.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindSentinel Butte-Large hail accompanied the strong thunderstorm winds.
September 2010HailSentinel Butte-Strong thunderstorm winds accompanied the large hail.
July 2009Tornado (EF0)Sentinel Butte-A brief tornado occurred. The tornado touched down in open country and impacted no structures. There were no reports of damage.
July 2009HailGolva-No damage was reported.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindGolva-The storm was accompanied by pea size hail and very heavy rain.
June 2006HailSentinel Butte-Winds also estimated up to 50 mph.
June 2006HailGolva-Mostly penny size hail with a few golfball size.
June 2006HailBeach-Severe crop damage to lentil, pea, durum, and corn fields. 65 mph winds accompanied large hail.
July 2006HailBeach-Hail ranged in size from pea size to quarter size.
August 2006HailBeach-Hail covered the ground.
July 2006HailBeach-Piles of hail.
August 2006LightningBeach-Lightning started a fire that destroyed 80 round hay bales.
June 2005HailBeach-Heavy rain and frequent lightning.
July 2005HailTrotters-Reported by a NWS cooperative observer.
July 2004HailSentinel Butte-Wind gust to 55 mph (48 knots) accompanied the storm.
July 2004HailBeach-Nickel to quarter size hail on the south side of Beach.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindBeach-Several tree limbs down.
June 2002HailBeach-Event duration of 20 minutes.
June 2002HailBeach-Hail accumulated between 1 to 3 inches with nickel to quarter size covering the ground.
June 2002Flash FloodBeach-County roads washed out and roads in the community of Beach flooded.

Mines and quarries

5 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 5 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction4
Uranium1
Lignite1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
North American UraniumUranium, LigniteOccurrence
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Johnson Gave PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

10

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.