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Missouri River at Niobrara water level

River gauge, Missouri River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

16.41ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

20 25 Highest onrecord 26.76 ft Minor floodstage 21.00 ft

History

161820ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Minor flood stage161820ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
16182022ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage16182022ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
152025ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage152025ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
152025ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026152025ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 16.41 ft, the Missouri River at Niobrara is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.61 ft below the median of 18.02 ft for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. It is 4.59 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 16.68 ft (−0.27 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 15.35 ft and 17.46 ft.

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

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
18.02 ft1.61 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
16.58 ft – 21.11 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year
16.68 ft−0.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
15.35 ft – 17.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
13.11 ft – 18.10 ft
Highest on record
26.76 ftJune 26, 2011

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 21.00 ft, still 4.59 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.50 ft
Bottom Road in Bon Homme County begins flooding.
24.00 ft
Highway 12 east and west of Niobrara will be flooded, and the sewage lagoons in Niobrara will be flooded. Homes and cabins in Running Water will also be threatened by high water.
23.00 ft
Highway 12 east of Niobrara could be overtopped by water backing up Bazile Creek.
22.50 ft
The fishing road on the south bank near Niobrara is flooded.
22.00 ft
The road to the Niobrara sewer lagoon is flooded.
21.00 ft
Both banks overflow and some boat docks near Niobrara are flooded.
16.41 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
126.76 ftJune 26, 2011
223.64 ftJuly 22, 2010
322.50 ftJanuary 17, 2007
422.20 ftAugust 5, 2018
521.98 ftOctober 13, 1997
621.85 ftAugust 20, 1997
721.44 ftAugust 1, 2006
821.44 ftJanuary 6, 1999
921.28 ftJuly 28, 1996
1020.84 ftJanuary 30, 2004

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 70° 44° – Wind 15 mph
21 Wed 76° 55° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 78° 58° – Wind 11 mph
23 Fri 77° 62° 0.17 in Wind 24 mph
24 Sat 69° 51° 0.20 in, 35% Wind 18 mph
25 Sun 67° 45° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Missouri River below GreenwoodRiver gauge, Missouri River 24.60 ft Normal −0.12 ft 20 mi
Missouri River below Ponca Creek near VerdelRiver gauge, Missouri River 20.43 ft Normal −0.14 ft 4.9 mi
Missouri River at YanktonRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.13 ft Very low ±0 31 mi
Missouri River near St. JamesRiver gauge, Missouri River 32.04 ft Very low −0.04 ft 46 mi
Missouri River near MaskellRiver gauge, Missouri River 21.16 ft Normal −0.01 ft 53 mi
Missouri River at Sioux CityRiver gauge, Missouri River 10.54 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 83 mi
Missouri River at DecaturRiver gauge, Missouri River 19.17 ft Below flood stage +0.11 ft 104 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.50 ft Below flood stage −0.13 ft 149 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River 13.89 ft Very low +0.02 ft 151 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Niobrara River at NiobraraRiver gauge, Niobrara River 32.04 ft High +0.03 ft 3.7 mi
Bazile Creek near NiobraraRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 1.94 ft Low −0.02 ft 4.3 mi
Lewis and Clark Lake at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Lewis and Clark Lake 9.62 ft High +0.03 ft 8 mi
Howe Creek below Walker Draw near CenterRiver gauge, Howe Creek 1.67 ft Very low +0.01 ft 10 mi
Ponca Creek at VerdelRiver gauge, Ponca Creek 5.79 ft Normal −0.02 ft 10 mi
Niobrara River near VerdelRiver gauge, Niobrara River 3.33 ft Normal +0.05 ft 12 mi
Bazile Creek at CenterRiver gauge, Bazile Creek 8.89 ft High −0.01 ft 12 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Missouri River at Niobrara compare with last year?

It is 0.27 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 16.68 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River at Niobrara?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 4.59 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Missouri River at Niobrara in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 18.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 16.58 ft and 21.11 ft, based on 15 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 Missouri River at Niobrara today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 16.41 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River at Niobrara rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River at Niobrara normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 15 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:06466010 (Agency page)
Coordinates
42.76966, -97.99034 (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 16.41 ft 2026-10-19 15:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River at Niobrara (usgs:06466010). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/missouri-river-at-niobrara

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