Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha water level

Name: Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha 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, Big Papillion Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

8.71ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 272 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 Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha shows 8.71 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.84 ft above the median of 7.87 ft for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. It is 27.29 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 7.46 ft (+1.25 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.63 ft and 19.40 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.87 ft0.84 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.34 ft – 8.55 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year: 7.46 ft+1.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7.63 ft – 19.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.33 ft – 19.40 ft
Highest on record: 36.97 ftOctober 1, 2026

High water at Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Water begins to impact the bottom of the Q Street bridge.
39.50 ft: Floodwaters will overtop the levee.
37.50 ft: Water nears the top of the levee.
36.00 ft: The bike path is further inundated.
26.50 ft: Water begins to impact the bike path near the gage site.
8.71 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	36.97 ft	October 1, 2026
2	35.96 ft	May 21, 2024
3	32.40 ft	August 18, 2015
4	31.51 ft	June 20, 2014
5	31.19 ft	June 11, 2008
6	30.47 ft	August 22, 2011
7	30.37 ft	May 22, 2004
8	29.84 ft	May 6, 2007
9	29.60 ft	August 7, 2021
10	28.55 ft	March 13, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 46° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 77° 56° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 78° 55° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° – Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 80° 59° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 67° 48° 0.15 in, 23% Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 48° 39° 0.66 in, 51% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on Big Papillion Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Papillion Creek near BlairRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	11.39 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Big Papillion Creek near KennardRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	8.06 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Big Papillion Creek near BenningtonRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	5.67 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Fort Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	3.28 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	10.42 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	4.4 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Papillion Cr at Ak-Sar-Ben at OmahaRiver gauge, Little Papillion Cr	2.95 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	2.8 mi
West Papillion Creek at PapillionRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	10.67 ft	High	−0.04 ft	3.7 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	14.04 ft	Very low	+0.09 ft	4.7 mi
Cole Creek at Blondo Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Cole Creek	5.50 ft	Very high	±0	5.1 mi
West Papillion Creek at MillardRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	9.74 ft	High	−0.03 ft	5.8 mi
Missouri River at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.61 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	6.1 mi
South Papillion Creek at ChalcoRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	16.10 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Papillion Creek at Fort CrookRiver gauge, Papillion Creek	10.77 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha compare with last year?

It is 1.25 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.46 ft.

What is flood stage for Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 27.29 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.87 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.34 ft and 8.55 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 Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM CDT, the water level was 8.71 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha normal?

Very high 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:06610770 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.20520, -96.01605 (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	8.71 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	272 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at Omaha (usgs:06610770). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/big-papillion-creek-at-q-street-at-omaha

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