Wood River at Grand Island water level

Name: Wood River at Grand Island 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, Wood River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

11.37ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 2.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Wood River at Grand Island reads 11.37 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.13 ft below the flood stage of 19.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.34 ft and 11.42 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 18.13 ftMarch 17, 2019

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 19.50 ft, still 8.13 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Highway 281 bridge.
21.50 ft: The Wood River Diversion Levee will be topped in several locations with flood waters spilling over into businesses located along the levee especially along the south side of the river. Major property damage is expected if the levee were to fail.
20.00 ft: The Wood River will be within 1.5 feet of topping the levee at the Wood River Diversion on the south side of Grand Island. Damage to the levee and some flooding along the levee will be possible.
19.40 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the railroad bridge downstream of Highway 281 resulting in backwater rises on the west side of the railroad bridge. The rising backwater will quickly begin flowing through the low point in the levee on the north side of the railroad bridge unless this low spot has been previously sandbagged.
18.00 ft: The water level will be within 1.5 feet of reaching the bottom of the downstream train bridge. Once the water level reaches the bottom of the train bridge there will be increasing backwater just upstream of the train bridge and water will quickly reach the low spot in the levee near the train bridge. Sandbagging of the low spot in the levee near the train bridge will be required prior to reaching a stage of 19.5 feet to protect the levee.
11.37 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	18.13 ft	March 17, 2019
2	17.10 ft	June 8, 2008
3	16.77 ft	May 27, 2020
4	15.85 ft	March 3, 2007
5	15.60 ft	June 26, 2025
6	15.51 ft	June 21, 2010
7	15.17 ft	August 14, 2014
8	14.99 ft	May 2, 2016
9	14.81 ft	June 6, 2009
10	14.54 ft	May 28, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 67%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River	3.46 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	5.0 mi
Warm Slough near Central CityRiver gauge, Warm Slough	2.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	22 mi
South Loup River at Saint MichaelRiver gauge, South Loup River	2.46 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	22 mi
Middle Loup River at Saint PaulRiver gauge, Middle Loup River	2.02 ft	Normal	±0	23 mi
North Loup River near Saint PaulRiver gauge, North Loup River	2.78 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	27 mi
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River	2.41 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	40 mi
Davis Creek ReservoirReservoir	2,056.58 ft	Normal		40 mi
Cedar River near FullertonRiver gauge, Cedar River	2.16 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wood River at Grand Island?

The official flood stage is 19.50 ft. The level is currently 8.13 ft below it.

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 Wood River at Grand Island today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM CDT, the water level was 11.37 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wood River at Grand Island rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wood River at Grand Island normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wood River at Grand Island?

The highest level on record is 18.13 ft on March 17, 2019.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06772100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.87472, -98.37833 (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	11.37 ft	2026-10-20 10:00	Provisional
Flow	2.7 cfs	2026-10-20 10:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wood River at Grand Island (usgs:06772100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/wood-river-at-grand-island

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