Republican River at McCook water level

Name: Republican River at McCook 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, Republican River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.70ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 6.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.70 ft, the Republican River at McCook is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.57 ft below the median of 3.28 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 6.30 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.55 ft (−0.85 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.39 ft and 3.19 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: 3.28 ft0.57 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.73 ft – 3.74 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.55 ft−0.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.39 ft – 3.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.37 ft – 5.30 ft
Highest on record: 10.51 ftMay 26, 2023

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 9.00 ft, still 6.30 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Flooding could become severe in nearby locations. The depth of the water could reach a foot in Barnett Park and other low lying areas.
9.00 ft: Lowland areas will become flooded. Barnett Park will become inundated.
2.70 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	10.51 ft	May 26, 2023
2	9.76 ft	April 24, 2007
3	9.14 ft	March 21, 1960
4	8.72 ft	August 10, 2008
5	8.70 ft	May 30, 1957
6	8.56 ft	July 29, 2018
7	8.48 ft	September 17, 2025
8	8.30 ft	July 1, 1962
9	8.27 ft	May 21, 1969
10	8.13 ft	September 4, 2016

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.

17 Sat 65° 32° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 71° 34° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 76° 50° – Wind 18 mph

21 Wed 79° 56° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 82° 60° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 81° 68° 0.01 in, 35% Wind 26 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:56 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Republican River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Republican River at BenkelmanRiver gauge, Republican River	2.77 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	50 mi
Republican River at StrattonRiver gauge, Republican River	4.20 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	32 mi
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River	0.81 ft	Normal	±0	59 mi
Republican River at Guide RockRiver gauge, Republican River	4.93 ft	Very high	−0.14 ft	121 mi
Republican River near HardyRiver gauge, Republican River	2.58 ft	Normal	−0.25 ft	143 mi
Republican River at ScandiaRiver gauge, Republican River	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	152 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Driftwood Creek near McCookRiver gauge, Driftwood Creek	2.50 ft	Normal	±0	4.1 mi
Red Willow Creek near Red WillowRiver gauge, Red Willow Creek	4.51 ft	Very low	±0	7 mi
Hugh Butler Lake and Red WillowReservoir	2,564.62 ft	Normal		12 mi
Frenchman Creek at CulbertsonRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek	2.72 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Beaver Creek at Cedar BluffsRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.98 ft	High	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Swanson Lake and TrentonReservoir	2,734.07 ft	Normal		23 mi
Harry Strunk Lake and Medicine CreekReservoir	2,354.34 ft	Normal		25 mi
Frenchman Creek at PalisadeRiver gauge, Frenchman Creek	2.37 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Republican River at McCook compare with last year?

It is 0.85 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.55 ft.

What is flood stage for the Republican River at McCook?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.30 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Republican River at McCook in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.73 ft and 3.74 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 Republican River at McCook today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.70 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Republican River at McCook rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Republican River at McCook normal?

Very 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:06837000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.18755, -100.61891 (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	2.70 ft	2026-10-17 19:30	Provisional
Flow	6.1 cfs	2026-10-17 19:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/12534?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Republican River at McCook water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Republican River at McCook (usgs:06837000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/republican-river-at-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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer