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Driftwood Creek near McCook water level

River gauge, Driftwood Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.58ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
2.0 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 25.43 ft Minor floodstage 17.00 ft

History

History
2.32.52.8ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 192.32.52.8ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
2.02.53.0ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 192.02.53.0ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Driftwood Creek near McCook reads 2.58 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft above the median of 2.42 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 14.42 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.94 ft (−0.36 ft).

The water is rising: up 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 14.42 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.15 ft and 3.02 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
2.42 ft0.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.20 ft – 2.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
2.94 ft−0.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.15 ft – 3.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.04 ft – 7.01 ft
Highest on record
25.43 ftAugust 7, 1950

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 17.00 ft, still 14.42 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft
Lowland areas will become flooded.
2.58 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 %.

RankLevelDate
125.43 ftAugust 7, 1950
224.76 ftSeptember 8, 1951
323.10 ftJune 17, 1956
422.16 ftMay 30, 1957
522.04 ftMay 26, 2023
621.08 ftMarch 21, 1960
720.57 ftSeptember 9, 1946
818.85 ftJune 25, 1947
918.74 ftAugust 28, 1968
1018.48 ftApril 24, 2007

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 70° 36° – Wind 18 mph
19 Mon 64° 40° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 76° 42° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 76° 54° 0.00 in Wind 12 mph
22 Thu 78° 57° 0.06 in Wind 13 mph
23 Fri 80° 63° 0.03 in Wind 21 mph
24 Sat 70° 51° 0.01 in, 31% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River 2.70 ft Very low +0.01 ft 4.1 mi
Red Willow Creek near Red WillowRiver gauge, Red Willow Creek 4.55 ft Low +0.04 ft 11 mi
Frenchman Creek at CulbertsonRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek 2.75 ft Normal +0.03 ft 12 mi
Beaver Creek at Cedar BluffsRiver gauge, Beaver Creek 2.98 ft High ±0 13 mi
Hugh Butler Lake and Red WillowReservoir 2,564.61 ft Normal 15 mi
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir 2,734.05 ft Normal 20 mi
Frenchman Creek at PalisadeRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek 2.39 ft Normal +0.03 ft 28 mi
Harry Strunk Lake and Medicine CreekReservoir 2,354.39 ft Low 29 mi

Questions and answers

How does Driftwood Creek near McCook compare with last year?

It is 0.36 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.94 ft.

What is flood stage for Driftwood Creek near McCook?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 14.42 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Driftwood Creek near McCook in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.42 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.20 ft and 2.90 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 Driftwood Creek near McCook today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.58 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Driftwood Creek near McCook rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.23 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Driftwood Creek near McCook 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:06836500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.14583, -100.67387 (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 2.58 ft 2026-10-19 09:30 Provisional
Flow 2.0 cfs 2026-10-19 09:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Driftwood Creek near McCook (usgs:06836500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/driftwood-creek-near-mccook

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.