Shell Creek near Columbus water level

Name: Shell Creek near Columbus 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, Shell Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

10.10ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 21.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Shell Creek near Columbus: the latest reading is 10.10 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 8.81 ft above the median of 1.30 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 19.90 ft below the flood stage of 30.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 10.39 ft (−0.29 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 9.83 ft – 11.49 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.30 ft8.81 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.42 ft – 10.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 10.39 ft−0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 9.83 ft – 11.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 9.62 ft – 13.06 ft
Highest on record: 32.76 ftJune 17, 1990

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 30.00 ft.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Extensive flooding takes place affecting county roads and much farmland. Depending on the amount of runoff below the gage, the Lower Shell Creek basin may threaten Schuyler and Rogers.
31.00 ft: The access road to the gage begins to flood.
30.00 ft: Low banks located 200 feet upstream of the gage begin to flood rural lowlands. In addition, water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
10.10 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	32.76 ft	June 17, 1990
2	32.15 ft	February 20, 1971
3	32.11 ft	May 20, 1982
4	32.09 ft	March 14, 2019
5	31.73 ft	July 10, 1993
6	31.70 ft	June 2, 1947
7	31.63 ft	June 12, 2010
8	31.53 ft	March 9, 1993
9	31.38 ft	June 3, 1950
10	31.23 ft	June 26, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.34 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 30° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 69° 38° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 64° 40° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 69° 49° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 73° 54° 0.01 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 77° 58° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 78° 63° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 57%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clear Creek 1.75 mile W of Polk County lineRiver gauge	4.50 ft	High	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River	6.88 ft	Very high	+0.26 ft	14 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River	3.48 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Loup River near GenoaRiver gauge, Loup River	4.08 ft	Normal	−0.25 ft	24 mi
Beaver Creek at GenoaRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	3.17 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Prairie Creek near Silver CreekRiver gauge, Prairie Creek	2.09 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River	3.27 ft	Normal	−0.29 ft	27 mi
Silver Creek, at Mile 4 near Silver CreekRiver gauge, Silver Creek	4.56 ft	High	−0.04 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

How does Shell Creek near Columbus compare with last year?

It is 0.29 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.39 ft.

What is flood stage for Shell Creek near Columbus?

The official flood stage is 30.00 ft. The level is currently 19.90 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Shell Creek near Columbus in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.30 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.42 ft and 10.41 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 Shell Creek near Columbus today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 10.10 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Shell Creek near Columbus rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Shell Creek near Columbus normal?

High 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:06795500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.52596, -97.28160 (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	10.10 ft	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional
Flow	21.5 cfs	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shell Creek near Columbus (usgs:06795500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/shell-creek-near-columbus

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