Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel water level

Name: Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel 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, Missouri River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

19.73ft Down 0.82 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT (38 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 19.73 ft, the Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.29 ft below the median of 21.02 ft for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. It is 4.27 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 21.33 ft (−1.60 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.82 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 19.55 ft and 21.65 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 21.02 ft1.29 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 19.57 ft – 24.16 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year: 21.33 ft−1.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 19.55 ft – 21.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 19.15 ft – 22.11 ft
Highest on record: 29.12 ftJune 30, 2011

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 24.00 ft, still 4.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: A home south of Dante along River Bottom Road in Charles Mix County is threatened by high water.
25.00 ft: Boat docks at Lazy River Acres near Verdel will be flooded and some permanent homes will be surrounded by water.
24.00 ft: Some recreational homes between Verdel and Niobrara are impacted by flooding.
19.73 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.12 ft	June 30, 2011
2	26.82 ft	March 14, 2019
3	25.58 ft	July 22, 2010
4	25.02 ft	August 22, 1995
5	24.90 ft	November 28, 1997
6	24.71 ft	January 27, 2004
7	24.70 ft	August 15, 1997
8	24.50 ft	January 25, 2003
9	24.48 ft	September 13, 2002
10	24.40 ft	August 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 46° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 75° 48° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 78° 52° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 80° 63° 0.06 in Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 72° 54° 0.05 in, 26% Wind 23 mph

25 Sun 53° 38° 0.44 in, 33% Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 41° 36° 0.11 in, 25% Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River below La Framboise Island, at PierreRiver gauge, Missouri River	21.19 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	155 mi
Missouri River at Farm Island near PierreRiver gauge, Missouri River	21.03 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	153 mi
Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River	24.31 ft	Normal	−1.08 ft	16 mi
Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River	15.47 ft	Very low	−0.79 ft	4.9 mi
Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.14 ft	Very low	±0	35 mi
Missouri River near St. JamesRiver gauge, Missouri River	32.01 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	51 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River	21.13 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	58 mi
Missouri River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	87 mi
Missouri River at DecaturRiver gauge, Missouri River	19.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	108 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.59 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	153 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Niobrara River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Niobrara River	32.13 ft	High	+0.15 ft	3.0 mi
Ponca Creek at VerdelRiver gauge, Ponca Creek	5.77 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	4.9 mi
Niobrara River near VerdelRiver gauge, Niobrara River	3.34 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Bazile Creek near NiobraraRiver gauge, Bazile Creek	1.92 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	9 mi
Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake	9.51 ft	High	−0.07 ft	11 mi
Howe Creek below Walker Draw near CenterRiver gauge, Howe Creek	1.67 ft	Very low	±0	14 mi
Bazile Creek at CenterRiver gauge, Bazile Creek	8.82 ft	High	−0.08 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel compare with last year?

It is 1.60 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 21.33 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 4.27 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 21.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 19.57 ft and 24.16 ft, based on 15 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 Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 19.73 ft. Down 0.82 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel rising or falling?

Down 0.82 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06453620 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.78814, -98.08347 (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	19.73 ft	2026-10-20 20:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River below Ponca Creek near Verdel (usgs:06453620). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/missouri-river-below-ponca-creek-near-verdel

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