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Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center water level

River gauge, Howe Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
8.2 cfs
5 10 15 Minor floodstage 15.00 ft Highest onrecord 13.96 ft

History

History
2.02.53.0ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 192.02.53.0ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
24ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 1924ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
35810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202635810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center is running far below normal at 1.67 ft.

That puts it 0.48 ft below the median of 2.15 ft for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. It is 13.33 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.00 ft (−0.33 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.64 ft and 1.71 ft.

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

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.15 ft0.48 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.73 ft – 2.98 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year
2.00 ft−0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.64 ft – 1.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.57 ft – 3.69 ft
Highest on record
13.96 ftMarch 13, 2019

Floating and fishing near Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 13.33 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft
Floodwaters begin to flow over the bridge.
18.00 ft
Water reaches the bottom of the bridge.
16.50 ft
886 Road begins to flood north of the creek.
14.50 ft
Lowland flooding begins along the south bank.
1.67 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
113.96 ftMarch 13, 2019
28.49 ftAugust 3, 2025
37.46 ftMarch 3, 2018
46.06 ftMay 13, 2023
55.31 ftJune 17, 2024
64.58 ftMay 30, 2022
74.25 ftFebruary 24, 2021
83.70 ftJanuary 17, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 74° 47° – Wind 18 mph
19 Mon 69° 44° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 76° 56° 0.01 in Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 77° 58° – Wind 13 mph
23 Fri 80° 64° 0.09 in Wind 24 mph
24 Sat 69° 49° 0.04 in, 35% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 63%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bazile Creek at CenterRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 8.82 ft High −0.08 ft 4.2 mi
Bazile Creek near NiobraraRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 1.93 ft Low −0.02 ft 5.3 mi
Missouri River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Missouri River 16.30 ft Very low −0.08 ft 10 mi
Niobrara River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Niobrara River 32.02 ft High −0.01 ft 12 mi
Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake 9.56 ft High +0.04 ft 13 mi
Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River 20.60 ft Normal −0.11 ft 14 mi
Ponca Creek at VerdelRiver gauge, Ponca Creek 5.79 ft Normal ±0 19 mi
Niobrara River near VerdelRiver gauge, Niobrara River 3.32 ft Normal −0.03 ft 19 mi

Questions and answers

How does Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center compare with last year?

It is 0.33 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is flood stage for Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 13.33 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.15 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.73 ft and 2.98 ft, based on 9 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 Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 9 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:06466470 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.67347, -97.85396 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.67 ft 2026-10-19 21:30 Provisional
Flow 8.2 cfs 2026-10-19 21:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Howe Creek below Walker Draw near Center (usgs:06466470). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/howe-creek-below-walker-draw-near-center

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.