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Red Willow Creek near Red Willow water level

River gauge, Red Willow Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.56ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
3.1 cfs
5 10 15 20 Highest onrecord 18.36 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
4.64.85.0ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 194.64.85.0ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
4.55.0ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 194.55.0ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
46ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202646ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
46ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202646ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Red Willow Creek near Red Willow: the gauge reads 4.56 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.14 ft below the median of 4.70 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 10.44 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.54 ft (+0.02 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 4.49 ft – 4.64 ft.

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

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.70 ft0.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.46 ft – 5.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
4.54 ft+0.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.49 ft – 4.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.01 ft – 6.51 ft
Highest on record
18.36 ftJune 22, 1947

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.36 ft
Record Stage
15.00 ft
BANKFULL STAGE WITH MINOR FLOODING OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.
4.56 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
118.36 ftJune 22, 1947
216.77 ftJune 21, 1948
316.02 ftMay 23, 2008
416.00 ftJune 17, 1955
515.57 ftJuly 5, 1956
615.02 ftMay 31, 1945
714.97 ftMay 14, 1957
814.73 ftFebruary 4, 1960
914.62 ftApril 24, 2007
1013.86 ftJuly 8, 1962

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 73° 36° – Wind 11 mph
19 Mon 65° 42° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 76° 41° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 75° 53° 0.01 in Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 79° 57° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph
23 Fri 82° 69° 0.04 in Wind 25 mph
24 Sat 68° 51° 0.15 in, 25% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River 2.72 ft Very low +0.01 ft 7 mi
Driftwood Creek near McCookRiver gauge, Driftwood Creek 2.58 ft Normal +0.01 ft 11 mi
Hugh Butler Lake and Red WillowReservoir 2,564.61 ft Normal 12 mi
Beaver Creek at Cedar BluffsRiver gauge, Beaver Creek 2.98 ft High ±0 18 mi
Harry Strunk Lake and Medicine CreekReservoir 2,354.44 ft Normal 18 mi
Frenchman Creek at CulbertsonRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek 2.75 ft Normal +0.02 ft 20 mi
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir 2,734.04 ft Normal 30 mi
Sappa Creek near LyleRiver gauge, Sappa Creek 4.88 ft Normal −0.01 ft 31 mi

Questions and answers

How does Red Willow Creek near Red Willow compare with last year?

It is 0.02 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.54 ft.

What is flood stage for Red Willow Creek near Red Willow?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.44 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Red Willow Creek near Red Willow in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.46 ft and 5.07 ft, based on 18 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 Red Willow Creek near Red Willow today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.56 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Red Willow Creek near Red Willow rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Red Willow Creek near Red Willow normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 18 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:06838000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.23503, -100.50074 (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 4.56 ft 2026-10-19 16:30 Provisional
Flow 3.1 cfs 2026-10-19 16:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red Willow Creek near Red Willow (usgs:06838000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/red-willow-creek-near-red-willow

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.