Big Papillion Creek near Blair water level

Name: Big Papillion Creek near Blair 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 Papillion Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

11.39ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:10 AM CDT (30 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Big Papillion Creek near Blair is at 11.39 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 11.28 ft, based on 14 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.11 ft above typical. It is 13.11 ft below the flood stage of 24.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 11.38 ft, a difference of +0.01 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 11.18 ft and 12.27 ft.

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

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 11.28 ft0.11 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 10.91 ft – 11.64 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 11.38 ft+0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 11.18 ft – 12.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 11.00 ft – 12.27 ft
Highest on record: 25.05 ftSeptember 16, 2016

Floating and fishing near Big Papillion Creek near Blair

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

Flood stage here is 24.50 ft, 13.11 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Water begins to flow over the County Road 26 bridge
29.00 ft: Floodwaters begin to impact the bottom of the County Road 26 bridge at the gage site.
24.50 ft: Croplands near the gage site begin to flood.
11.39 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.05 ft	September 16, 2016
2	24.83 ft	May 21, 2024
3	21.86 ft	March 13, 2019
4	20.51 ft	May 20, 2017
5	19.25 ft	September 24, 2015
6	16.59 ft	June 3, 2014
7	15.65 ft	July 10, 2021
8	14.12 ft	February 27, 2023
9	14.02 ft	May 27, 2013
10	13.48 ft	September 4, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 43° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 74° 50° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 75° 56° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 77° 60° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 69° 60° 0.06 in Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 59° 46° 0.39 in, 27% Wind 15 mph

26 Mon 48° 41° 1.27 in, 29% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Big Papillion Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Papillion Creek near KennardRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	8.06 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	4.1 mi
Big Papillion Creek near BenningtonRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	5.65 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Fort Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	3.32 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	10.43 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	8.73 ft	Very high	−0.07 ft	23 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thomas Creek near BenningtonRiver gauge, Thomas Creek	2.72 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	11 mi
West Papillion Creek at ElkhornRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	3.30 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Elkhorn River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Elkhorn River	2.25 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Little Papillion Creek at IrvingtonRiver gauge, Little Papillion Creek	4.06 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Platte River near LesharaRiver gauge, Platte River	4.08 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	16 mi
Platte River near FremontRiver gauge, Platte River	7.10 ft	High	+0.30 ft	17 mi
Maple Creek near NickersonRiver gauge, Maple Creek	2.50 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Big Papillion Creek near Blair higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.01 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 11.38 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Papillion Creek near Blair?

The official flood stage is 24.50 ft. The level is currently 13.11 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Papillion Creek near Blair in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 11.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 10.91 ft and 11.64 ft, based on 14 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 Papillion Creek near Blair today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:10 AM CDT, the water level was 11.39 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Papillion Creek near Blair rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Papillion Creek near Blair normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:06610705 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.50902, -96.20994 (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	11.39 ft	2026-10-20 16:10	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Papillion Creek near Blair (usgs:06610705). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/big-papillion-creek-near-blair

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