Elkhorn River at Norfolk water level

Name: Elkhorn River at Norfolk 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, Elkhorn River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 307 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Elkhorn River at Norfolk, where the gauge shows 3.03 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.47 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.56 ft above typical. It is 8.97 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.03 ft as well.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.88 ft – 3.39 ft.

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

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.47 ft0.56 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.52 ft – 4.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.03 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.88 ft – 3.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.53 ft – 4.07 ft
Highest on record: 17.22 ftJune 15, 2010

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Highway 81 bridge.
17.00 ft: The local levee protecting Tahazouka Park is overtopped.
16.00 ft: U.S. Highway 81 will begin to be overtopped.
13.00 ft: The river is bankfull within the city limits of Norfolk. Outside the Norfolk area, serious flooding of lowlands and bridge approaches take place. Some county roads and rural homes flood.
12.00 ft: Considerable lowland flooding and approaches to bridges flood upstream and downstream of the gage for several miles.
10.00 ft: The trail under Highway 81 begins to flood.
3.03 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	17.22 ft	June 15, 2010
2	15.63 ft	March 11, 1949
3	15.59 ft	March 14, 2019
4	13.05 ft	May 31, 1995
5	11.42 ft	June 8, 2008
6	10.18 ft	February 19, 1997
7	9.53 ft	June 18, 1998
8	9.28 ft	February 10, 2009
9	9.13 ft	May 30, 2007
10	8.93 ft	May 8, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.57 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 69° 39° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 66° 42° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 68° 42° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 73° 53° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 74° 56° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 78° 62° 0.02 in Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 69° 51° 0.15 in, 34% Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Elkhorn River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elkhorn River at EwingRiver gauge, Elkhorn River	2.55 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	50 mi
Elkhorn River at PilgerRiver gauge, Elkhorn River	6.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	19 mi
Elkhorn River at West PointRiver gauge, Elkhorn River	4.02 ft	Low	±0	38 mi
Elkhorn River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Elkhorn River	2.29 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	77 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Elkhorn River near PierceRiver gauge, North Fork Elkhorn River	2.31 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Shell Creek near ColumbusRiver gauge, Shell Creek	10.10 ft	High	−0.02 ft	34 mi
Logan Creek at WakefieldRiver gauge, Logan Creek	6.99 ft	Low	±0	35 mi
Beaver Creek at GenoaRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	3.17 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	42 mi
Loup River near GenoaRiver gauge, Loup River	4.09 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	43 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River	6.82 ft	Very high	+0.16 ft	45 mi
Loup River Power Canal near GenoaCanal gauge, Loup River Power Canal	6.87 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	45 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River	3.26 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	51 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Elkhorn River at Norfolk higher than last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 3.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Elkhorn River at Norfolk?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.97 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Elkhorn River at Norfolk in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.47 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.52 ft and 4.17 ft, based on 17 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 Elkhorn River at Norfolk today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elkhorn River at Norfolk rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elkhorn River at Norfolk normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 17 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:06799000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.00378, -97.42603 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	3.03 ft	2026-10-19 05:15	Provisional
Flow	307 cfs	2026-10-19 05:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elkhorn River at Norfolk (usgs:06799000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/elkhorn-river-at-norfolk

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