Nivelmap
EN

West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn water level

River gauge, West Papillion Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.30ft Steady over the last 24 hours

5 10 Highest onrecord 13.02 ft Minor floodstage 9.50 ft

History

History
3.03.54.04.5ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 193.03.54.04.5ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
345ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19345ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
345ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026345ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
345ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026345ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn reads 3.30 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.01 ft below the median of 3.31 ft for mid-October, based on 12 years of readings. It is 6.20 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.42 ft (−0.12 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.30 ft and 5.18 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.31 ft0.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.98 ft – 4.43 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year
3.42 ft−0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.30 ft – 5.18 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.29 ft – 5.34 ft
Highest on record
13.02 ftOctober 1, 2026

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 9.50 ft, still 6.20 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft
Water may begin to impact residential areas along the creek.
12.50 ft
Floodwaters begin to impact a business north of West Maple Road.
11.00 ft
The eastbound lane of West Maple Road, east of the creek, begins to flood.
10.50 ft
Significant flooding is occurring along the westbound lane of West Maple Road, likely closing the road to traffic.
9.50 ft
Floodwaters are impacting the westbound lane of West Maple Road east of the creek.
8.00 ft
Low lying areas along the creek and north of West Maple Road are inundated. In addition, water begins to impact the westbound lanes.
3.30 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
113.02 ftOctober 1, 2026
212.66 ftMay 21, 2024
311.23 ftJuly 31, 2025
411.12 ftMay 11, 2016
510.80 ftJune 19, 2018
610.29 ftJune 18, 2016
710.01 ftAugust 31, 2021
88.49 ftOctober 5, 2019
97.73 ftJune 20, 2014
107.10 ftSeptember 24, 2015

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on West Papillion Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
West Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek 8.49 ft Normal −0.10 ft 5.3 mi
West Papillion Creek at MillardRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek 9.80 ft Very high −0.09 ft 9 mi
West Papillion Creek at PapillionRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek 10.71 ft Very high −0.07 ft 14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Elkhorn River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Elkhorn River 2.25 ft Low −0.07 ft 1.6 mi
Big Papillion Creek near BenningtonRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek 5.69 ft Normal −0.03 ft 7 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Fort Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek 3.37 ft Normal −0.09 ft 8 mi
Platte River near VeniceRiver gauge, Platte River 11.40 ft Normal −0.18 ft 8 mi
Platte River near LesharaRiver gauge, Platte River 4.05 ft Normal −0.22 ft 8 mi
South Papillion Creek near GretnaRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek 5.45 ft Normal −0.02 ft 8 mi
Thomas Creek near BenningtonRiver gauge, Thomas Creek 2.81 ft Normal +0.15 ft 9 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek 10.47 ft Normal −0.05 ft 10 mi

Questions and answers

How does West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn compare with last year?

It is 0.12 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.42 ft.

What is flood stage for West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 6.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.31 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.98 ft and 4.43 ft, based on 12 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 West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.30 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 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:06610773 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.29273, -96.25233 (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 3.30 ft 2026-10-19 17:00 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

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

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Papillion Creek at Elkhorn (usgs:06610773). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/west-papillion-creek-at-elkhorn

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.