Platte River at Louisville water level

Name: Platte River at Louisville 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, Platte River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.31ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 4,790 cfs
Water temperature: 50 °F

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 Platte River at Louisville reads 3.31 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.71 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.40 ft below typical. It is 5.69 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.15 ft, a difference of +0.16 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.12 ft and 7.33 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 50 °F.

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.71 ft0.40 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.46 ft – 4.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.15 ft+0.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.12 ft – 7.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.30 ft – 7.33 ft
Highest on record: 13.82 ftMarch 16, 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 9.00 ft, still 5.69 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.50 ft: Though unlikely to occur, water reaches the bottom of the Highway 50 bridge at this level.
13.00 ft: Highway 50 just north of the river begins to flood.
12.00 ft: Highway 31, north of the river, between Riha Road and Highway 50 begins to flood.
11.00 ft: The Meadow levee on the north bank of the Highway 50 bridge may overtop. This along with increasing lowland flooding may begin to impact structures near the river.
9.00 ft: The bike path at Highway 50 along the river begins to flood. Also, lowland flooding starts along both of the banks.
3.31 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: 16 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.82 ft	March 16, 2019
2	12.45 ft	March 30, 1960
3	11.90 ft	July 25, 1993
4	11.47 ft	March 10, 1993
5	11.35 ft	June 14, 1984
6	10.83 ft	March 20, 1978
7	10.48 ft	May 31, 2008
8	10.35 ft	June 17, 1957
9	10.33 ft	June 14, 2010
10	9.99 ft	February 22, 1982

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 62° 32° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 66° 42° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 67° 44° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 75° 55° 0.00 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 79° 57° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 78° 63° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Platte River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River	2.57 ft	Normal	−0.45 ft	155 mi
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River	3.41 ft	Normal	±0	111 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River	3.51 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	74 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River	6.38 ft	High	−0.18 ft	54 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River	3.68 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	44 mi
Platte River near FremontRiver gauge, Platte River	7.17 ft	High	+0.12 ft	32 mi
Platte River near LesharaRiver gauge, Platte River	4.36 ft	Normal	+0.12 ft	25 mi
Platte River near VeniceRiver gauge, Platte River	11.68 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	16 mi
Platte River near AshlandRiver gauge, Platte River	14.83 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Platte River at La PlatteRiver gauge, Platte River	10.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	12 mi
Platte River near AgencyRiver gauge, Platte River	7.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	119 mi
Platte River at Sharps StationRiver gauge, Platte River	5.29 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	135 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Creek at S 168th St near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	9.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.5 mi
Springfield Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Springfield Creek	5.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	5.0 mi
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek	7.05 ft	Normal	−0.45 ft	10 mi
Wahoo Creek at AshlandRiver gauge, Wahoo Creek	5.27 ft	Normal	−0.99 ft	11 mi
South Papillion Creek near GretnaRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	5.46 ft	Normal	±0	11 mi
West Papillion Creek at PapillionRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	10.81 ft	Very high	−0.11 ft	11 mi
South Papillion Creek at ChalcoRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	16.16 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	11 mi
West Papillion Creek at MillardRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	9.90 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Platte River at Louisville higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.16 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.15 ft.

What is flood stage for the Platte River at Louisville?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 5.69 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Platte River at Louisville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.71 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.46 ft and 4.61 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 Platte River at Louisville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.31 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte River at Louisville rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte River at Louisville 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:06805500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.01498, -96.15750 (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	3.31 ft	2026-10-18 11:15	Provisional
Flow	4,790 cfs	2026-10-18 11:15	Provisional
Water temperature	50 °F	2026-10-18 11:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte River at Louisville (usgs:06805500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/platte-river-at-louisville

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