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Republican River at Benkelman water level

River gauge, Republican River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.82ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
23.1 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 13.10 ft Minor floodstage 7.00 ft

History

History
234ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19234ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
234ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 19234ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Republican River at Benkelman is at 2.82 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.02 ft, based on 10 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.20 ft below typical. It is 4.18 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.50 ft, a difference of −0.68 ft.

It has risen 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 4.18 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.63 ft and 2.84 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.02 ft0.20 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.16 ft – 3.85 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Same day last year
3.50 ft−0.68 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.63 ft – 2.84 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.59 ft – 3.94 ft
Highest on record
13.10 ftMay 31, 1935

Floating and fishing near Republican River at Benkelman

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.18 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft
Lowland areas from near the gage to the confluence of the South Fork of the Republican River will become flooded.
2.82 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 %.

RankLevelDate
113.10 ftMay 31, 1935
29.35 ftJuly 24, 2020
37.80 ftAugust 9, 1950
47.58 ftSeptember 7, 1951
57.44 ftJune 15, 1948
66.91 ftMay 18, 2023
76.80 ftApril 28, 1947
86.61 ftJuly 31, 1962
96.30 ftJune 15, 1955
106.25 ftJune 27, 1992

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 77° 31° – Wind 21 mph
18 Sun 75° 40° – Wind 11 mph
19 Mon 70° 42° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 77° 50° 0.00 in Wind 18 mph
21 Wed 80° 54° – Wind 8 mph
22 Thu 79° 59° 0.03 in Wind 17 mph
23 Fri 82° 63° 0.02 in, 24% Wind 28 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:01 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Republican River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Republican River at StrattonRiver gauge, Republican River 4.19 ft Low ±0 18 mi
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River 2.69 ft Very low ±0 50 mi
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River 0.80 ft Normal −0.01 ft 108 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
South Fork Republican River near BenkelmanRiver gauge, South Fork Republican River −0.51 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 1.7 mi
Rock Creek at ParksRiver gauge, Rock Creek 1.37 ft Normal ±0 10 mi
Buffalo Creek near HaiglerRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 0.84 ft Normal +0.01 ft 17 mi
Arikaree River at HaiglerRiver gauge, Arikaree River 7.14 ft High −0.32 ft 24 mi
Enders ReservoirReservoir 3,080.08 ft Very low 27 mi
North Fork Republican River at Colorado-NebraskaRiver gauge, North Fork Republican River 1.37 ft High ±0 27 mi
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir 2,734.05 ft Normal 27 mi
Frenchman Creek at PalisadeRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek 2.40 ft Normal +0.04 ft 31 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Republican River at Benkelman higher than last year?

No, it is 0.68 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.50 ft.

What is flood stage for the Republican River at Benkelman?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.18 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Republican River at Benkelman in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.16 ft and 3.85 ft, based on 10 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 Republican River at Benkelman today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 PM MDT, the water level was 2.82 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Republican River at Benkelman rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.33 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Republican River at Benkelman normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 10 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:06824500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.03378, -101.54306 (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 2.82 ft 2026-10-19 03:30 Provisional
Flow 23.1 cfs 2026-10-19 03:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Republican River at Benkelman (usgs:06824500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/republican-river-at-benkelman

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.