Big Blue River at Barneston water level

Name: Big Blue River at Barneston 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, Big Blue River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

5.24ft Up 0.58 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,030 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 Big Blue River at Barneston: the latest reading is 5.24 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.54 ft above the median of 3.70 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 14.76 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.47 ft (+1.77 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.58 ft over the past 24 hours. If the rise continues, low-lying paths and riverside parking can go under water. The 30-day range is 3.65 ft – 18.31 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: 3.70 ft1.54 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.20 ft – 6.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.47 ft+1.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.65 ft – 18.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.11 ft – 18.31 ft
Highest on record: 30.21 ftJune 14, 1984

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 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

37.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Highway 8 bridge at the gage site.
33.00 ft: Widespread major flooding is ongoing as waters begin to impact the Village of Barneston.
27.00 ft: Feeder streams at Wymore and Blue Springs, both located upstream of the gage may backup and cause local flood problems.
26.00 ft: Increasing farmlands flood along the bottomlands.
20.00 ft: Rural lowlands continue to flood.
18.00 ft: Rural lowlands begin to flood.
5.24 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	30.21 ft	June 14, 1984
2	28.49 ft	July 6, 1986
3	28.11 ft	March 25, 1987
4	27.87 ft	July 27, 1993
5	27.78 ft	May 8, 2015
6	25.39 ft	October 13, 1986
7	25.32 ft	March 17, 2019
8	25.00 ft	July 25, 1992
9	24.61 ft	May 7, 2007
10	22.97 ft	June 19, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.37 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 67° 41° – Wind 19 mph

19 Mon 68° 42° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 72° 45° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 75° 55° 0.01 in Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 77° 58° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 79° 62° 0.12 in Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 72° 54° 0.41 in, 25% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Blue River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Blue River near CreteRiver gauge, Big Blue River	10.11 ft	Very high	−0.07 ft	43 mi
Big Blue River at MarysvilleRiver gauge, Big Blue River	15.18 ft	Very high	+0.46 ft	15 mi
Big Blue River at Blue RapidsRiver gauge, Big Blue River	17.88 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	25 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River	11.40 ft	Very high	−0.11 ft	56 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Blue River at HollenbergRiver gauge, Little Blue River	2.83 ft	High	−0.04 ft	23 mi
Lake Blue River near BarnesRiver gauge, Lake Blue River	5.39 ft	High	+0.15 ft	25 mi
Black Vermillion River near FrankfortRiver gauge, Black Vermillion River	3.22 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	26 mi
Turkey Creek near SenecaRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	1.19 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi
Turkey Creek near DeWittRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	12.02 ft	Very high	−0.46 ft	27 mi
Mill Creek at WashingtonRiver gauge, Mill Creek	2.06 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	29 mi
Little Blue River near FairburyRiver gauge, Little Blue River	8.15 ft	High	−0.09 ft	33 mi
North Fork Big Nemaha River at HumboldtRiver gauge, North Fork Big Nemaha River	2.15 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Big Blue River at Barneston compare with last year?

It is 1.77 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.47 ft.

What is flood stage for the Big Blue River at Barneston?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 14.76 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Big Blue River at Barneston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.20 ft and 6.00 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 Big Blue River at Barneston today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.24 ft. Up 0.58 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Blue River at Barneston rising or falling?

Up 0.58 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Blue River at Barneston 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:06882000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.04464, -96.58739 (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	5.24 ft	2026-10-18 21:00	Provisional
Flow	1,030 cfs	2026-10-18 21:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15770?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Big Blue River at Barneston water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Blue River at Barneston (usgs:06882000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/big-blue-river-at-barneston

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