Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield water level

Name: Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield 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, Buffalo Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:40 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield is at 9.53 ft, in the normal range.

It is 24.47 ft below the flood stage of 34.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 9.11 ft and 13.18 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Lowest and highest in 30 days: 9.11 ft – 13.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 9.05 ft – 13.18 ft

Floating and fishing near Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield

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

Flood stage here is 34.00 ft, 24.47 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

36.50 ft: A residential driveway begins to flood, though the home itself is well above the floodplain.
36.00 ft: The road, 168th Street, leading to the bridge, and the bridge itself are flooded.
34.00 ft: The natural banks begin to be overtopped. Prior to this level, ditches are filling which may allow nearby fields to flood.
33.50 ft: The bottom of the bridge at the gage site is impacted by floodwaters.
31.00 ft: Water enters ditches and culvert inlets along the right bank.
9.53 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 43° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 71° 45° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 72° 57° 0.03 in Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 76° 57° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° 0.02 in Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 73° 57° 0.09 in, 27% Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 68° 55° 0.05 in, 26% Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Springfield Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Springfield Creek	5.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	2.6 mi
Platte River at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Platte River	3.16 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	3.5 mi
Platte River near AshlandRiver gauge, Platte River	14.85 ft	Normal	+0.10 ft	8 mi
South Papillion Creek near GretnaRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	5.44 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	8 mi
South Papillion Creek at ChalcoRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	16.08 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek	6.85 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	8 mi
West Papillion Creek at PapillionRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	10.69 ft	High	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Wahoo Creek at AshlandRiver gauge, Wahoo Creek	5.14 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield?

The official flood stage is 34.00 ft. The level is currently 24.47 ft below it.

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 Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:40 AM CDT, the water level was 9.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06805515 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.06321, -96.17688 (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	9.53 ft	2026-10-20 14:40	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near Springfield (usgs:06805515). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/buffalo-creek-at-s-168th-st-near-springfield

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