South Papillion Creek near Gretna, Nebr. Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for South Papillion Creek near Gretna, Nebr. in NE, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location NE, United States
- Watershed big papillion mosquito
- Primary gauge 06610786 (USGS)
About South Papillion Creek near Gretna, Nebr.
South Papillion Creek near Gretna, Nebr. is a gauged river in the Big Papillion-Mosquito watershed in Nebraska.
Season by season
This reach is usually close to the same level through the year, but the pattern still has a small rise and fall. The highest typical month is May at 5.48 ft (1.67 m), while the lowest typical month is February at 5.32 ft (1.62 m). That 1.9 in (4.8 cm) annual swing is small enough that a dock, intake, or bank access point here should expect steadier water than many plains streams.
For people fishing or working along the creek, that matters more than a big seasonal pulse. A slight rise in late spring can change edge habitat and bank depth, but the channel does not show a wide monthly spread in the record given here. In this part of the plains, spring snowmelt and rain floods are the season to watch; summer convective storms can still move water quickly.
Records and rises
The highest level in the record is 9.13 ft (2.78 m) in March 2019. The lowest is 4.92 ft (1.5 m) in November 2023. Those two marks show the range this gauge has already seen over 14 years on record.
For neighbours, the practical lesson is simple: the creek has room to move well above its usual monthly levels, even if most months stay clustered near the middle of the range. March 2019 is the high-water reference point for this station, and November 2023 is the low-water reference point. If you use the creek for access, irrigation, or fishing spots, those records show the reach can shift enough to change depth and bank conditions.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is best read against the median for the same calendar day, not against a fixed elevation. A raw level by itself does not tell you whether the creek is running high for this date or simply following its normal seasonal pattern.
USGS operates this station, and the comparison is based on more than 14 years of record. That makes the daily median the useful benchmark: it puts today’s reading beside what this creek usually does on this date, which is what matters for a boat ramp, a crossing, or a short-notice change in water level.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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Inside the freshet cycle that puts Manitoba shorelines at risk each year - and why 2026 broke the script.
The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
