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Platte River near Ashland water level

River gauge, Platte River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

14.61ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
4,680 cfs
15 20 25 Highest onrecord 24.32 ft Minor floodstage 20.00 ft

History

14161820ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 19Minor flood stage14161820ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
14161820ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage14161820ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
14161820ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage14161820ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
141618ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026141618ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 14.61 ft, the Platte River near Ashland is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 15.56 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.95 ft below typical. It is 5.39 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 14.84 ft, a difference of −0.23 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.13 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 14.17 ft and 16.39 ft.

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

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
15.56 ft0.95 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
13.80 ft – 16.37 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
14.84 ft−0.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
14.17 ft – 16.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
13.31 ft – 16.39 ft
Highest on record
24.32 ftMarch 16, 2019

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 20.00 ft, still 5.39 ft away.

What happens at each level

27.50 ft
Major flooding is in progress and water nears the bottom of the Highway 6 bridge.
22.00 ft
Floodwaters will begin to impact the Linoma Beach area along the Sarpy County side.
21.50 ft
The river begins to spread out for quite a distance from both banks with respect to flooding conditions. Flooding is widespread along and across the reach.
20.00 ft
The river is at bankfull and overflows begin onto farmlands on both sides of the gage.
14.61 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: 10 %.

RankLevelDate
124.32 ftMarch 16, 2019
223.05 ftFebruary 20, 1997
321.98 ftFebruary 17, 2011
421.45 ftJuly 25, 1993
521.39 ftMarch 15, 2001
621.22 ftFebruary 23, 2007
721.06 ftMay 31, 2008
820.95 ftJune 15, 2010
920.86 ftFebruary 21, 1997
1020.49 ftFebruary 21, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 65° 44° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 69° 44° – Wind 10 mph
21 Wed 74° 52° 0.00 in Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 77° 57° – Wind 10 mph
23 Fri 78° 60° – Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 76° 56° 0.04 in, 32% Wind 17 mph
25 Sun 63° 53° 0.04 in, 27% Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Platte River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River 2.42 ft Normal −0.06 ft 147 mi
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River 3.53 ft Normal +0.10 ft 103 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River 3.47 ft Normal −0.05 ft 64 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River 6.47 ft High +0.22 ft 45 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River 3.65 ft Normal +0.21 ft 36 mi
Platte River near FremontRiver gauge, Platte River 7.32 ft Very high +0.08 ft 25 mi
Platte River near LesharaRiver gauge, Platte River 4.03 ft Low −0.25 ft 18 mi
Platte River near VeniceRiver gauge, Platte River 11.32 ft Normal −0.19 ft 9 mi
Platte River at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Platte River 3.37 ft Normal −0.16 ft 9 mi
Platte River at La PlatteRiver gauge, Platte River 10.33 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 21 mi
Platte River near AgencyRiver gauge, Platte River 7.41 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 128 mi
Platte River at Sharps StationRiver gauge, Platte River 5.17 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 142 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek 6.83 ft Normal −0.18 ft 1.0 mi
Wahoo Creek at AshlandRiver gauge, Wahoo Creek 5.16 ft Normal −0.05 ft 2.3 mi
Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 9.56 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 8 mi
South Papillion Creek near GretnaRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek 5.45 ft Normal −0.01 ft 10 mi
Salt Creek at GreenwoodRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.86 ft Low −0.14 ft 10 mi
Springfield Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Springfield Creek 5.46 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 10 mi
Rock Creek near CerescoRiver gauge, Rock Creek 4.23 ft Normal −0.23 ft 12 mi
Wahoo Creek at IthacaRiver gauge, Wahoo Creek 4.93 ft High −0.04 ft 13 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Platte River near Ashland higher than last year?

No, it is 0.23 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 14.84 ft.

What is flood stage for the Platte River near Ashland?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 5.39 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Platte River near Ashland in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 15.56 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 13.80 ft and 16.37 ft, based on 18 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 Platte River near Ashland today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 14.61 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte River near Ashland rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte River near Ashland normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 18 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:06801000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.06226, -96.32451 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 14.61 ft 2026-10-19 20:00 Provisional
Flow 4,680 cfs 2026-10-19 20:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte River near Ashland (usgs:06801000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/platte-river-near-ashland

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