Big Blue River near Crete water level

Name: Big Blue River near Crete 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

Very high for mid-October

Water level

9.84ft Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT (52 min ago)

Flow: 372 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 near Crete: the latest reading is 9.84 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.85 ft above the median of 7.99 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 11.16 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 7.82 ft (+2.02 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.26 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 7.96 ft – 26.65 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: 7.99 ft1.85 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.42 ft – 9.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.82 ft+2.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.96 ft – 26.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.52 ft – 26.65 ft
Highest on record: 30.64 ftMarch 15, 2019

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
29.00 ft: Extensive flooding is widespread. Past floods have not flooded the urban areas of Crete.
27.00 ft: The city park on South Main Street and the River Road (south extension of Main Street) near the sewage plant both flood.
24.00 ft: Parts of the Tuxedo Park area on the west side of town north of State Highway 33 flood.
18.00 ft: Additional flooding of lowland agricultural fields continues.
16.00 ft: Some rural lowlands begin to flood.
9.84 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: 33 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.64 ft	March 15, 2019
2	29.86 ft	July 3, 1986
3	29.80 ft	June 16, 1967
4	28.80 ft	March 12, 1993
5	28.74 ft	July 10, 1950
6	28.30 ft	June 3, 1951
7	28.00 ft	March 30, 1960
8	27.84 ft	March 25, 1987
9	27.53 ft	June 19, 1957
10	27.30 ft	March 21, 1969

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.64 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 67° 41° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 64° 43° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 71° 43° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 73° 54° 0.03 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 77° 56° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 79° 63° – Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 69° 51° 0.12 in, 35% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Blue River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Blue River at BarnestonRiver gauge, Big Blue River	5.00 ft	High	−0.22 ft	43 mi
Big Blue River at MarysvilleRiver gauge, Big Blue River	15.22 ft	Very high	+0.18 ft	54 mi
Big Blue River at Blue RapidsRiver gauge, Big Blue River	18.09 ft	High	+0.28 ft	65 mi
Big Blue River near ManhattanRiver gauge, Big Blue River	11.28 ft	Very high	−0.13 ft	96 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Haines Branch at SW 56th St at LincolnRiver gauge, Haines Branch	3.13 ft	High	−0.03 ft	15 mi
West Fork Big Blue River near DorchesterRiver gauge, West Fork Big Blue River	3.44 ft	High	−0.06 ft	15 mi
Salt Creek at RocaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.18 ft	High	−0.12 ft	16 mi
Turkey Creek near DeWittRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	11.77 ft	Very high	−0.31 ft	16 mi
Middle Creek at SW 63rd St at LincolnRiver gauge, Middle Creek	2.91 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	17 mi
Salt Creek at Pioneers Boulevard at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.60 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	17 mi
Oak Creek at Air Park Road at LincolnRiver gauge, Oak Creek	1.31 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	20 mi
Antelope Creek at 27th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Antelope Creek	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Big Blue River near Crete compare with last year?

It is 2.02 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.82 ft.

What is flood stage for the Big Blue River near Crete?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 11.16 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Big Blue River near Crete in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.99 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.42 ft and 9.33 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 near Crete today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 PM CDT, the water level was 9.84 ft. Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Blue River near Crete rising or falling?

Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Blue River near Crete normal?

Very 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:06881000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.59658, -96.96086 (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	9.84 ft	2026-10-19 17:45	Provisional
Flow	372 cfs	2026-10-19 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Blue River near Crete (usgs:06881000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/big-blue-river-near-crete

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