Salt Creek at Roca water level

Name: Salt Creek at Roca 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, Salt Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

2.44ft Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:25 AM CDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 26.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

High water at Salt Creek at Roca: the latest reading is 2.44 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.70 ft above the median of 1.74 ft for mid-October, based on 16 years of readings. It is 16.56 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.48 ft (+0.96 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.28 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.63 ft – 17.34 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.74 ft0.70 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.48 ft – 2.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.48 ft+0.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.63 ft – 17.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.41 ft – 17.34 ft
Highest on record: 26.00 ftMay 8, 1950

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Major flooding has inundated the vast majority of the reach as well as the town of Roca.
23.20 ft: Roca begins to flood as the railroad tracks have been overtopped. Water is also likely flowing over the Roca Road bridge coming into town.
21.50 ft: Widespread flooding is occurring along the reach.
20.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Roca Road bridge at the gage site.
19.50 ft: Roca road west of the gage site floods.
19.00 ft: Lowlands on the left bank begin to flood.
18.00 ft: Saltillo Road located 2.8 miles downstream of the gage near Highway 77 floods.
2.44 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.00 ft	May 8, 1950
2	22.70 ft	July 10, 1958
3	22.00 ft	June 2, 1951
4	21.86 ft	May 7, 2015
5	21.76 ft	July 25, 1992
6	21.39 ft	June 24, 1963
7	21.30 ft	June 5, 2008
8	21.16 ft	August 23, 1954
9	21.12 ft	May 5, 1959
10	20.94 ft	June 19, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on Salt Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek at Pioneers Boulevard at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.69 ft	High	−0.10 ft	8 mi
Salt Creek at Innovation Campus at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	8.95 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	13 mi
Salt Creek at 27th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	3.00 ft	High	−0.15 ft	13 mi
Salt Creek at 70th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Salt Creek	4.14 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	16 mi
Salt Creek at GreenwoodRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	24 mi
Salt Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, Salt Creek	7.00 ft	Normal	−0.65 ft	32 mi
Salt Creek near AdaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	4.58 ft	High	−0.05 ft	122 mi
Salt Creek at LyndonRiver gauge, Salt Creek	0.85 ft	High	−0.12 ft	151 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Antelope Creek at 27th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Antelope Creek	3.69 ft	High	−0.09 ft	10 mi
Haines Branch at SW 56th St at LincolnRiver gauge, Haines Branch	3.18 ft	High	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Deadmans Run at 38th Street at LincolnRiver gauge, Deadmans Run	8.14 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	12 mi
Middle Creek at SW 63rd St at LincolnRiver gauge, Middle Creek	3.07 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	13 mi
Stevens Creek near LincolnRiver gauge, Stevens Creek	10.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	14 mi
Oak Creek at Air Park Road at LincolnRiver gauge, Oak Creek	1.43 ft	Very high	−0.18 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

How does Salt Creek at Roca compare with last year?

It is 0.96 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.48 ft.

What is flood stage for Salt Creek at Roca?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 16.56 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Salt Creek at Roca in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.48 ft and 2.35 ft, based on 16 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 Salt Creek at Roca today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:25 AM CDT, the water level was 2.44 ft. Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Creek at Roca rising or falling?

Down 0.28 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.69 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Salt Creek at Roca normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 16 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:06803000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.65772, -96.66547 (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	2.44 ft	2026-10-18 05:25	Provisional
Flow	26.8 cfs	2026-10-18 05:25	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Creek at Roca (usgs:06803000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/salt-creek-at-roca

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