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Frenchman Creek at Palisade water level

River gauge, Frenchman Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.37ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
11.6 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 12.26 ft Minor floodstage 7.00 ft

History

2.02.53.0ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 182.02.53.0ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
1.52.02.53.0ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 181.52.02.53.0ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Frenchman Creek at Palisade, where the gauge shows 2.37 ft.

That puts it 0.08 ft below the median of 2.45 ft for mid-October, based on 17 years of readings. It is 4.63 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.73 ft (−0.36 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.16 ft – 2.37 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
2.45 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.98 ft – 2.83 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year
2.73 ft−0.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.16 ft – 2.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.04 ft – 5.44 ft
Highest on record
12.26 ftMay 26, 2023

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 7.00 ft.

What happens at each level

9.00 ft
Major flood stage. Widespread flooding along Frenchman Creek from Wauneta to Palisade. County roads and bridges on Frenchman Creek are flooded.
8.00 ft
Moderate flood stage. Flooding begins between Wauneta and Palidade. Some areas of Palisade near Kotter Park will be flooded.
7.00 ft
Flood stage. Agricultural areas along Frenchman Creek flood.
2.37 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: 9 %.

RankLevelDate
112.26 ftMay 26, 2023
28.81 ftJune 22, 2011
38.71 ftJuly 30, 2017
48.66 ftJuly 15, 1988
58.62 ftMay 30, 2007
68.49 ftMay 31, 1996
78.18 ftJuly 31, 1962
88.12 ftJuly 24, 1993
97.94 ftJune 18, 1972
107.89 ftJuly 29, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 69° 36° – Wind 8 mph
19 Mon 68° 39° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 76° 43° 0.02 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 77° 53° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 78° 57° 0.04 in Wind 17 mph
23 Fri 83° 62° 0.04 in, 23% Wind 23 mph
24 Sat 67° 50° 0.04 in, 28% Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on Frenchman Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Frenchman Creek at CulbertsonRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek 2.73 ft Normal +0.01 ft 15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir 2,734.07 ft Normal 13 mi
Republican River at StrattonRiver gauge, Republican River 4.19 ft Low +0.01 ft 16 mi
Enders ReservoirReservoir 3,080.09 ft Very low 21 mi
Hugh Butler Lake and Red WillowReservoir 2,564.62 ft Normal 24 mi
Driftwood Creek near McCookRiver gauge, Driftwood Creek 2.59 ft Normal +0.08 ft 28 mi
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River 2.70 ft Very low +0.01 ft 29 mi
Republican River at BenkelmanRiver gauge, Republican River 2.81 ft Normal +0.06 ft 31 mi
South Fork Republican River near BenkelmanRiver gauge, South Fork Republican River −0.52 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 32 mi

Questions and answers

How does Frenchman Creek at Palisade compare with last year?

It is 0.36 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.73 ft.

What is flood stage for Frenchman Creek at Palisade?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.63 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Frenchman Creek at Palisade in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.98 ft and 2.83 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 Frenchman Creek at Palisade today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:45 AM MDT, the water level was 2.37 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Frenchman Creek at Palisade rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Frenchman Creek at Palisade 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:06834000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.35183, -101.12336 (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 2.37 ft 2026-10-18 13:45 Provisional
Flow 11.6 cfs 2026-10-18 13:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Frenchman Creek at Palisade (usgs:06834000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/frenchman-creek-at-palisade

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