Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln water level

Name: Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln 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, Salt Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.86ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 189 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 Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln reads 3.86 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.17 ft below the median of 4.03 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 30.14 ft below the flood stage of 34.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.20 ft (+0.66 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.32 ft and 12.04 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.03 ft0.17 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.17 ft – 4.44 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.20 ft+0.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.32 ft – 12.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.07 ft – 12.04 ft
Highest on record: 33.39 ftMay 7, 2015

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 34.00 ft, still 30.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

39.42 ft: This level represents a flood that has a 0.2-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. This type of flood is commonly referred to as a 500-year flood.
38.02 ft: This level represents a flood that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. This type of flood is commonly referred to as a 100-year flood.
36.00 ft: At this level 70th Street and the Abbott Sports Complex will begin to flood.
34.00 ft: Due to the high banks in this area of Salt Creek, overbank flooding is unlikely. During the flood of 2015 little if any river flood impacts were noted in this area. However, areas upstream will likely be experiencing at least moderate flood conditions. In addition, water begins to impact the bottom of the 70th street bridge.
29.00 ft: Water begins to backup through a culvert along the right bank of the river. Though well below flood stage, the ditches along 70th Street begin to fill with floodwaters.
3.86 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.39 ft	May 7, 2015
2	27.46 ft	October 1, 2014
3	26.62 ft	March 13, 2019
4	25.42 ft	May 6, 2007
5	23.30 ft	May 20, 2017
6	23.23 ft	June 12, 2008
7	20.23 ft	September 4, 2018
8	19.25 ft	July 2, 2024
9	19.13 ft	June 21, 2010
10	18.72 ft	May 28, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 42° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 76° 52° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 77° 52° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 79° 61° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 80° 59° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 64° 47° 0.13 in, 23% Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 47° 38° 0.74 in, 41% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Salt Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek at RocaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.05 ft	High	−0.08 ft	16 mi
Salt Creek at Pioneers Boulevard at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.55 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Salt Creek at Innovation Campus at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	8.72 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	4.8 mi
Salt Creek at 27th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.83 ft	High	−0.06 ft	4.1 mi
Salt Creek at GreenwoodRiver gauge, Salt Creek	1.77 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	10 mi
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek	6.85 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	19 mi
Salt Creek near AdaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	4.42 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	137 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Stevens Creek near LincolnRiver gauge, Stevens Creek	10.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	2.5 mi
Little Salt Creek near LincolnRiver gauge, Little Salt Creek	2.59 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	3.0 mi
Deadmans Run at 38th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Deadmans Run	8.10 ft	High	−0.01 ft	4.1 mi
Antelope Creek at 27th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Antelope Creek	3.51 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	6 mi
Oak Creek at Air Park Road at LincolnRiver gauge, Oak Creek	1.25 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Rock Creek near CerescoRiver gauge, Rock Creek	4.12 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln compare with last year?

It is 0.66 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.20 ft.

What is flood stage for Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln?

The official flood stage is 34.00 ft. The level is currently 30.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.03 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.17 ft and 4.44 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 Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.86 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln normal?

Normal 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:06803513 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.88593, -96.62426 (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	3.86 ft	2026-10-20 23:15	Provisional
Flow	189 cfs	2026-10-20 23:35	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Creek at 70th Street at Lincoln (usgs:06803513). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/salt-creek-at-70th-street-at-lincoln

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