West Papillion Creek at Papillion water level

Name: West Papillion Creek at Papillion 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, West Papillion Creek, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

10.71ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT (52 min ago)

Flow: 96.2 cfs

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 West Papillion Creek at Papillion shows 10.71 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 10.44 ft, based on 14 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.28 ft above typical. It is 20.79 ft below the flood stage of 31.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 10.38 ft, a difference of +0.33 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 10.67 ft and 16.27 ft.

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

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 10.44 ft0.28 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.31 ft – 10.69 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 10.38 ft+0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 10.67 ft – 16.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 10.33 ft – 16.27 ft
Highest on record: 30.94 ftOctober 1, 2026

High water at West Papillion Creek at Papillion

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

35.50 ft: The levee will be overtopped leading to extensive flooding of Papillion.
32.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Washington Street bridge.
26.50 ft: The bike path along the south bank will be inundated.
23.00 ft: The bike path near the gage begins to be impacted.
10.71 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.94 ft	October 1, 2026
2	26.59 ft	June 21, 2014
3	24.50 ft	August 24, 2016
4	24.19 ft	July 2, 2024
5	23.03 ft	August 31, 2021
6	22.68 ft	May 7, 2015
7	21.34 ft	March 13, 2019
8	20.01 ft	June 14, 2013
9	19.53 ft	September 4, 2018
10	17.12 ft	September 23, 2025

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.02 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 33° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 70° 49° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° 0.01 in Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 78° 57° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 78° 63° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 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 ElkhornRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	3.30 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi
West Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	8.48 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	9 mi
West Papillion Creek at MillardRiver gauge, West Papillion Creek	9.80 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	5.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Papillion Creek at Q Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	8.79 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	3.7 mi
South Papillion Creek at ChalcoRiver gauge, South Papillion Creek	16.14 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	5.3 mi
Papillion Creek at Fort CrookRiver gauge, Papillion Creek	10.84 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	6.1 mi
Little Papillion Cr at Ak-Sar-Ben at OmahaRiver gauge, Little Papillion Cr	2.96 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	6 mi
Big Papillion Creek at Pacific St at OmahaRiver gauge, Big Papillion Creek	10.46 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	7 mi
Springfield Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Springfield Creek	5.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Missouri River at Hwy 92 at OmahaRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.79 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Cole Creek at Blondo Street at OmahaRiver gauge, Cole Creek	5.51 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

Is West Papillion Creek at Papillion higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.38 ft.

What is flood stage for West Papillion Creek at Papillion?

The official flood stage is 31.50 ft. The level is currently 20.79 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 10.44 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.31 ft and 10.69 ft, based on 14 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 Papillion today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 PM CDT, the water level was 10.71 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is West Papillion Creek at Papillion rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Papillion Creek at Papillion normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:06610793 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.15599, -96.04283 (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	10.71 ft	2026-10-19 17:30	Provisional
Flow	96.2 cfs	2026-10-19 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Papillion Creek at Papillion (usgs:06610793). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/west-papillion-creek-at-papillion

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