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SwedenBlack Bear Creek at Pawnee water level
River gauge, Black Bear Creek, Oklahoma, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 26.5 cfs
History
What this means
Black Bear Creek at Pawnee is at 1.87 ft, in the normal range.
It is 15.13 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.
It has dropped 0.28 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.79 ft and 2.16 ft.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 31.43 ftOctober 3, 1959
Floating and fishing near Black Bear Creek at Pawnee
Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.
Flood stage here is 17.00 ft, 15.13 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 29.00 ft
- damaging flooding occurs from west of Pawnee to its confluence with the Arkansas River. Extreme overflows flood some residences with depths of several feet. Around 10 city blocks are affected. The all-time record flood was 31.4 feet on October 3, 1959. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 27.00 ft
- very severe flooding occurs from west of Pawnee to its confluence with the Arkansas River. Overflows flood some residences and isolate many other homes. This is similar to the flood of October 5, 1986 when the stage crested at 27.3 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 25.00 ft
- severe flooding occurs from west of Pawnee to its confluence with the Arkansas River. Overflows isolate or flood some residences. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 23.00 ft
- moderate agricultural flooding occurs. The access road to the Pawnee Indian Agency and Hospital are closed. The Pawnee County Fairgrounds are flooded.
- 21.00 ft
- moderate agricultural flooding occurs. The Pawnee County Fairgrounds are flooded. The access road to the Pawnee Indian Agency and Hospital becomes impassable.
- 19.00 ft
- minor agricultural flooding occurs. The Pawnee County Fairgrounds and some access roads begin to flood.
- 17.00 ft
- minor farm and ranchland flooding occurs.
- 1.87 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31.43 ft | October 3, 1959 |
| 2 | 28.19 ft | May 19, 1943 |
| 3 | 28.11 ft | September 30, 1945 |
| 4 | 27.30 ft | May 25, 1908 |
| 5 | 27.30 ft | October 5, 1986 |
| 6 | 27.16 ft | September 14, 1961 |
| 7 | 26.87 ft | November 4, 1974 |
| 8 | 26.18 ft | May 21, 2019 |
| 9 | 25.26 ft | May 18, 1957 |
| 10 | 24.43 ft | March 12, 1974 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River at RalstonRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 5.23 ft | Below flood stage | −0.91 ft | 12 mi |
| Hominy Creek near HominyRiver gauge, Hominy Creek | 5.48 ft | Low | −0.01 ft | 25 mi |
| Cimarron River near RipleyRiver gauge, Cimarron River | 11.05 ft | Below flood stage | −3.59 ft | 26 mi |
| Bird Creek at SH 99 at PawhuskaRiver gauge, Bird Creek | 4.81 ft | Normal | −0.07 ft | 35 mi |
| Salt Fork Arkansas River at TonkawaRiver gauge, Salt Fork Arkansas River | 2.85 ft | Below flood stage | −0.09 ft | 36 mi |
| Chikaskia River near BlackwellRiver gauge, Chikaskia River | 4.26 ft | Below flood stage | −1.09 ft | 42 mi |
| Bird Creek at AvantRiver gauge, Bird Creek | 3.54 ft | Below flood stage | +0.01 ft | 42 mi |
| Arkansas River at SH 344 near TulsaRiver gauge, Arkansas River | 7.17 ft | No reference yet | −0.82 ft | 44 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for Black Bear Creek at Pawnee?
The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 15.13 ft below it.
Is gage height the same as water depth?
No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.
What is the water level of Black Bear Creek at Pawnee today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 08:30 AM CDT, the water level was 1.87 ft. Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Black Bear Creek at Pawnee rising or falling?
Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Black Bear Creek at Pawnee normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Black Bear Creek at Pawnee?
The highest level on record is 31.43 ft on October 3, 1959.
How often is this data updated?
The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:07153000(Agency page)- Coordinates
36.34367, -96.79948(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- NAVD88
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 1.87 ft | 2026-10-18 13:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 26.5 cfs | 2026-10-18 13:30 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Black Bear Creek at Pawnee (usgs:07153000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oklahoma/black-bear-creek-at-pawnee
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer