Bow Creek near Wynot water level

Name: Bow Creek near Wynot 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, Bow Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 35.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.19 ft, Bow Creek near Wynot is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.49 ft, based on 11 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.30 ft below typical. It is 12.81 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.49 ft, a difference of −0.30 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.11 ft and 2.27 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.49 ft0.30 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.14 ft – 4.70 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.49 ft−0.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.11 ft – 2.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.95 ft – 3.44 ft
Highest on record: 18.04 ftMarch 13, 2019

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 12.81 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: 568th Avenue may begin to flood around this level.
19.00 ft: The other bank begins to flood and floodwaters may reach the bottom of the bridge.
14.00 ft: Lowland flooding begins south of the bridge.
2.19 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.04 ft	March 13, 2019
2	15.45 ft	June 26, 2018
3	13.19 ft	February 28, 2023
4	9.19 ft	September 23, 2015
5	9.14 ft	October 6, 2017
6	8.68 ft	May 10, 2016
7	7.86 ft	May 21, 2024
8	5.64 ft	July 11, 2025
9	5.53 ft	January 13, 2020
10	4.96 ft	February 24, 2021

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 72° 43° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 73° 48° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 57° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 79° 61° 0.02 in Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 71° 53° 0.09 in, 51% Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 67° 47° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 67%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River near St. JamesRiver gauge, Missouri River	32.04 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River	21.15 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.19 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	13 mi
James River near YanktonRiver gauge, James River	3.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	19 mi
Big Sioux River at AkronRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	5.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	31 mi
Big Sioux River near JeffersonRiver gauge, Big Sioux River	9.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	35 mi
Howe Creek below Walker Draw near CenterRiver gauge, Howe Creek	1.65 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake	9.61 ft	High	+0.05 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

Is Bow Creek near Wynot higher than last year?

No, it is 0.30 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.49 ft.

What is flood stage for Bow Creek near Wynot?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.81 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Bow Creek near Wynot in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.14 ft and 4.70 ft, based on 11 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 Bow Creek near Wynot today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bow Creek near Wynot rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bow Creek near Wynot normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 11 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:06478522 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.76499, -97.17251 (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	2.19 ft	2026-10-20 07:30	Provisional
Flow	35.3 cfs	2026-10-20 07:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bow Creek near Wynot (usgs:06478522). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/bow-creek-near-wynot

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