Buffalo Creek near Overton water level

Name: Buffalo Creek near Overton 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.81ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 5.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Buffalo Creek near Overton reads 3.81 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.44 ft above the median of 3.37 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. It is 7.19 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.97 ft (−1.16 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.30 ft and 4.25 ft.

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

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.37 ft0.44 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.35 ft – 4.88 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.97 ft−1.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.30 ft – 4.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.30 ft – 5.93 ft
Highest on record: 11.40 ftJuly 10, 2019

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 7.19 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Water will cover highway 30 and the nearby railroad lines. In addition, there will be extensive flooding of agricultural areas and numerous county roads.
12.00 ft: Flooding reaches the bottom of the highway 30 bridge and spreads outward across lowland agricultural areas adjacent to the creek.
11.00 ft: Road 751 west of Road 447 will be under water at several locations. In addition, other county roads along the Buffalo Creek also begin to flood. A record crest of 11.4 feet was set on July 10th 2019, with the second highest crest of 11.36 feet set on May 25th 2008.
3.81 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.40 ft	July 10, 2019
2	11.36 ft	May 25, 2008
3	11.20 ft	February 25, 2007
4	10.98 ft	July 12, 1958
5	10.89 ft	June 12, 1999
6	10.81 ft	June 16, 2010
7	9.80 ft	August 4, 1996
8	9.28 ft	July 7, 2018
9	8.78 ft	August 16, 1997
10	8.61 ft	June 19, 1957

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.26 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 69° 35° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 65° 41° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 69° 42° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 74° 53° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 77° 56° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 78° 64° 0.01 in Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 71° 48° 0.02 in, 29% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on Buffalo Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Creek near HaiglerRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	0.83 ft	Low	±0	133 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Spring Creek	2.71 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.4 mi
Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch	4.07 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	3.9 mi
Platte River near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte River	2.57 ft	Low	±0	4.0 mi
Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm CrRiver gauge, Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch	3.92 ft	Very low	±0	4.8 mi
Platte R, J2 Outflow and S Ch, near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte R, J2 Outflow and S Ch	6.20 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	5.1 mi
Elm Creek near Elm CreekRiver gauge, Elm Creek	0.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	5.6 mi
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River	2.40 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	23 mi
South Loup River at Pressey WMA near OcontoRiver gauge, South Loup River	0.63 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Creek near Overton compare with last year?

It is 1.16 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.97 ft.

What is flood stage for Buffalo Creek near Overton?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.19 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Creek near Overton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.37 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.35 ft and 4.88 ft, based on 13 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 Buffalo Creek near Overton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 3.81 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Creek near Overton rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.43 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buffalo Creek near Overton normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 13 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:06769000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.73422, -99.50573 (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	3.81 ft	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional
Flow	5.6 cfs	2026-10-19 18:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Creek near Overton (usgs:06769000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/buffalo-creek-near-overton

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