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Big Blue River at Seward — water level right now

Seward County, Nebraska · NWS gauge SWRN1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
18
minor flood stage
 
24.11
record crest
set 2019-03-14
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 16
minor · 18
moderate · 22
major · 27
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage27extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage22some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage18low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage16water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
124.112019-03-14+6.11 above
222.371986-07-02+4.37 above
322.152008-07-07+4.15 above
420.861993-03-11+2.86 above
520.281985-07-20+2.28 above
619.541998-05-23+1.54 above
719.532005-05-14+1.53 above
819.351987-03-25+1.35 above
9191987-08-26+1 above
1018.751989-09-10+0.75 above
1118.471984-06-16+0.47 above
1218.22017-08-20+0.2 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Lincoln Creek near Seward 2 mi away · loading… Big Blue River at Staplehurst 6 mi away · loading… Twin Lakes Reservoir 10 mi away · loading… West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester 12 mi away · loading… Branched Oak Reservoir 14 mi away · loading… Pawnee Lake 14 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSWRN1
USGS site06880500
CountySeward
StateNebraska
NWS forecast officeValley
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates40.903, -97.112
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Big Blue River at Seward

Is Big Blue River at Seward flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 18 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Big Blue River at Seward?

major flood stage 27 ft, moderate flood stage 22 ft, minor flood stage 18 ft, action stage 16 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Big Blue River at Seward?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 24.11 ft, reached on 2019-03-14 — that is 6.11 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Valley and local emergency management.