Red Willow Creek near Red Willow water level

Name: Red Willow Creek near Red Willow 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, Red Willow Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.54ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Red Willow Creek near Red Willow: the gauge reads 4.54 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft below the median of 4.70 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 10.46 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.54 ft as well.

It is on the way up, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.49 ft – 4.64 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.70 ft0.16 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.46 ft – 5.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.54 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.49 ft – 4.64 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.01 ft – 6.51 ft
Highest on record: 18.36 ftJune 22, 1947

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.36 ft: Record Stage
15.00 ft: BANKFULL STAGE WITH MINOR FLOODING OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.
4.54 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.36 ft	June 22, 1947
2	16.77 ft	June 21, 1948
3	16.02 ft	May 23, 2008
4	16.00 ft	June 17, 1955
5	15.57 ft	July 5, 1956
6	15.02 ft	May 31, 1945
7	14.97 ft	May 14, 1957
8	14.73 ft	February 4, 1960
9	14.62 ft	April 24, 2007
10	13.86 ft	July 8, 1962

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 36° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 76° 43° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 76° 54° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 79° 58° 0.00 in Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 80° 67° – Wind 27 mph

24 Sat 71° 56° – Wind 27 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Republican River at McCookRiver gauge, Republican River	2.69 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Driftwood Creek near McCookRiver gauge, Driftwood Creek	2.56 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	11 mi
Hugh Butler Lake and Red WillowReservoir	2,564.61 ft	Normal		12 mi
Beaver Creek at Cedar BluffsRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.98 ft	High	±0	18 mi
Harry Strunk Lake and Medicine CreekReservoir	2,354.39 ft	Low		18 mi
Frenchman Creek at CulbertsonRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek	2.73 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir	2,734.05 ft	Normal		30 mi
Sappa Creek near LyleRiver gauge, Sappa Creek	4.90 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

How does Red Willow Creek near Red Willow compare with last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 4.54 ft.

What is flood stage for Red Willow Creek near Red Willow?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.46 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Red Willow Creek near Red Willow in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.70 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.46 ft and 5.07 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 Red Willow Creek near Red Willow today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.54 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Red Willow Creek near Red Willow rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Red Willow Creek near Red Willow normal?

Low 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:06838000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.23503, -100.50074 (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	4.54 ft	2026-10-19 00:30	Provisional
Flow	2.7 cfs	2026-10-19 00:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red Willow Creek near Red Willow (usgs:06838000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/red-willow-creek-near-red-willow

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