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Niobrara River near Sparks — water level right now

Cherry County, Nebraska · NWS gauge SPKN1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
6
minor flood stage
 
12.17
record crest
set 2014-02-05
–
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 · 5
minor · 6
moderate · 12
major · 16
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage16extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage6low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
112.172014-02-05+6.17 above
210.312018-02-21+4.31 above
310.061973-02-07+4.06 above
49.231994-02-07+3.23 above
58.92005-01-17+2.9 above
68.71996-12-24+2.7 above
78.151984-02-05+2.15 above
88.121996-02-10+2.12 above
98.11993-02-18+2.1 above
107.531986-01-22+1.53 above
116.922008-12-22+0.92 above
126.811974-02-09+0.81 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

Snake River near Burge 30 mi away · loading… Snake River at Merritt Dam 32 mi away · loading… Long Pine Creek near Riverview 38 mi away · loading… Niobrara River near Nenzel 8S 39 mi away · loading… Snake River above Doughboy 50 mi away · loading… Niobrara River at Mariaville 52 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSPKN1
USGS site06461500
CountyCherry
StateNebraska
NWS forecast officeNorth Platte
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates42.902, -100.362
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 Niobrara River near Sparks

Is Niobrara River near Sparks 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 6 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Niobrara River near Sparks?

major flood stage 16 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 6 ft, action stage 5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Niobrara River near Sparks?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 12.17 ft, reached on 2014-02-05 — that is 6.17 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 North Platte and local emergency management.