Republican River at Guide Rock water level

Name: Republican River at Guide Rock 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, Republican River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

4.88ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 77.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Republican River at Guide Rock is well above normal at 4.88 ft.

That puts it 1.36 ft above the median of 3.52 ft for mid-October, based on 12 years of readings. It is 7.62 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.98 ft (+0.90 ft).

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.70 ft and 11.19 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.52 ft1.36 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.65 ft – 4.51 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.98 ft+0.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.70 ft – 11.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.43 ft – 11.19 ft
Highest on record: 15.47 ftJuly 19, 1993

Flood levels and safety

Most flood deaths in the US happen in vehicles. Six inches of fast water can knock an adult off their feet, and a foot or two can float a car. If a road is covered, turn around.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

What happens at each level

21.50 ft: Floodwaters reach the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
15.00 ft: Highway 78 south of the bridge will be impacted along with numerous county roads including River Road as well as Road B and E. In addition, a home will be threatened downstream on the south side of the river off of Road 3600 south of Superior. This home required sandbagging during the July flooding of 2019 when the river crest at Guide Rock reached 15.1 feet.
12.50 ft: Minor agricultural lowland flooding occurs and roads B and E will begin to be impacted.
10.50 ft: Water begins spilling out of the river banks.
4.88 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.47 ft	July 19, 1993
2	15.08 ft	July 11, 2019
3	14.85 ft	May 28, 2019
4	14.31 ft	August 25, 2019
5	14.06 ft	May 25, 2008
6	13.63 ft	May 15, 1985
7	13.38 ft	July 13, 1992
8	13.31 ft	July 19, 2017
9	12.95 ft	May 25, 2011
10	12.82 ft	May 23, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 32° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 71° 50° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 76° 56° 0.04 in Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 80° 58° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 79° 64° – Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Republican River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Republican River at StrattonRiver gauge, Republican River	4.19 ft	Low	±0	153 mi
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River	2.71 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	121 mi
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River	0.81 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	62 mi
Republican River near HardyRiver gauge, Republican River	2.45 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	22 mi
Republican River at ScandiaRiver gauge, Republican River	1.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	34 mi
Republican River at ConcordiaRiver gauge, Republican River	5.63 ft	High	−0.02 ft	48 mi
Republican River at Clay CenterRiver gauge, Republican River	7.75 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	81 mi
Republican River at Junction CityRiver gauge, Republican River	796 cfs	Normal	−30.0 cfs	107 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Courtland Canal at Nebraska-Kansas StatelineCanal gauge, Courtland Canal	0.19 ft	Very low	−0.10 ft	11 mi
White Rock Creek near Burr OakRiver gauge, White Rock Creek	1.51 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Lovewell ReservoirReservoir	1,580.54 ft	High		20 mi
Little Blue River near DeweeseRiver gauge, Little Blue River	2.70 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	23 mi
Little Blue River at County Line near DeshlerRiver gauge, Little Blue River	6.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	29 mi
Waconda Lake and Glen ElderReservoir	1,456.98 ft	Very high		39 mi
Cawker CityReservoir	1,447.96 ft	Normal		39 mi
Nf Solomon River at PortisRiver gauge, Nf Solomon River	3.95 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	40 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Republican River at Guide Rock compare with last year?

It is 0.90 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.98 ft.

What is flood stage for the Republican River at Guide Rock?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 7.62 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Republican River at Guide Rock in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.52 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.65 ft and 4.51 ft, based on 12 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 Republican River at Guide Rock today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT, the water level was 4.88 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Republican River at Guide Rock rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.26 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Republican River at Guide Rock normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 12 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:06853020 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.06390, -98.33028 (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	4.88 ft	2026-10-18 16:30	Provisional
Flow	77.9 cfs	2026-10-18 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Republican River at Guide Rock (usgs:06853020). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/republican-river-at-guide-rock

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