Palo Duro Creek near Spearman water level

Name: Palo Duro Creek near Spearman water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Palo Duro Creek, Texas, United States

Directions

High for late October

Water level

4.01ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 07:30 AM MDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Palo Duro Creek near Spearman is above normal at 4.01 ft.

That puts it 1.52 ft above the median of 2.49 ft for late October, based on 27 years of readings. It is 15.99 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.01 ft as well.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.00 ft and 7.31 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.49 ft1.52 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.33 ft – 4.15 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.01 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.00 ft – 7.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.00 ft – 7.31 ft
Highest on record: 23.68 ftJune 4, 1936

About this gauge

Location: Hansford County
Nearest town: Spearman (10 km)
Elevation above sea level: 2,960 ft

Town from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)

Floating and fishing near Palo Duro Creek near Spearman

Experienced paddlers may enjoy higher water, but many outfitters stop rentals once a river runs this high.

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 15.99 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Bridge rails are flooded. The road surface on the bridge is under 3 feet of water. 2 to 3 homes downstream of the gage site are flooded. Ranch land is flooded on both sides of the creek and cattle are threatened.
20.00 ft: Road surface on bridge floods. 2 to 3 homes downstream of the gage site are flooded. Ranch land is flooded on both sides of the creek and cattle are threatened.
19.00 ft: Houses downstream of gage site flood.
12.00 ft: Moderate overbank flooding occurs. Cattle are threatened and damage to fences is possible
9.00 ft: The creek is at bankfull stage. Some minor overbank flooding occurs and cattle in the floodplain may be threatened.
4.01 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.68 ft	June 4, 1936
2	22.48 ft	June 13, 2010
3	21.00 ft	June 4, 1936
4	20.10 ft	June 19, 2004
5	16.37 ft	May 20, 2023
6	15.94 ft	May 20, 2010
7	14.31 ft	June 9, 2002
8	14.00 ft	October 2, 1998
9	10.12 ft	June 26, 2000
10	8.92 ft	June 28, 2000

About Palo Duro Creek

Palo Duro Creek is formed in Texas from the junction of North Palo Duro Creek and South Palo Duro Creek north of Morse, Texas. The creek continues generally northeast until it becomes a tributary of the Beaver River in Oklahoma at a point east-northeast of Hardesty, Oklahoma, west of Balko, Oklahoma, and north of U.S. Route 412 near the Texas County/Beaver County line, downstream from the Optima Lake project.

Length: 83.9 mi
Mouth: Beaver River

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 81° 55° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 82° 52° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° – Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 71° 59° – Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 64° 59° 0.58 in, 71% Wind 20 mph

26 Mon 60° 47° 0.82 in, 64% Wind 20 mph

27 Tue 60° 41° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:58 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 77%

Map

Other gauges on Palo Duro Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Palo Duro Creek at Westline Rd near UmbargerRiver gauge, Palo Duro Creek	2.27 ft	High	±0	94 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Palo Duro Reservoir near SpearmanReservoir, Palo Duro Reservoir	2,826.20 ft	Very low	±0	14 mi
Lake Meredith and SanfordLake	2,891.38 ft	Normal		37 mi
Big Blue Creek near FritchRiver gauge, Big Blue Creek	6.14 ft	Normal	±0	39 mi
Beaver River near GoodwellRiver gauge, Beaver River	6.88 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

How does Palo Duro Creek near Spearman compare with last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 4.01 ft.

Where exactly is Palo Duro Creek near Spearman measured?

The gauge is in Hansford County, Texas. It sits 2,960 ft above sea level.

What is flood stage for Palo Duro Creek near Spearman?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.99 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Palo Duro Creek near Spearman in late October?

The median for late October is 2.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.33 ft and 4.15 ft, based on 27 years of records.

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 Palo Duro Creek near Spearman today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 07:30 AM MDT, the water level was 4.01 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Palo Duro Creek near Spearman rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07233500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.20225, -101.30599 (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	4.01 ft	2026-10-21 13:30	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-21 13:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Palo Duro Creek near Spearman (usgs:07233500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/palo-duro-creek-near-spearman

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