River Conditions
Illustrated map of Lake McConaughy

River stage

Lincoln, Salt Creek

River level
3.01 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
-1.03 ft
Recent high
14.56 ft
Recent low
2.15 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS LCNN1

30-day change
+0.70 ft
Average
2.91 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
28.87 ft

In brief

The Salt Creek at Lincoln, NE read 3.01 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 10.99 ft below action stage. That is 0.70 ft higher than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge LCNN1

River level timeline

1581216SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13ACTION 14.00 ftHIGH 14.56LOW 2.313.01 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 14.00 ftMinor flooding 20.50 ftModerate flooding 26.50 ftMajor flooding 29.00 ft CURRENT 3.01 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 28.87 ft 2015-05-07
2 26.52 ft 1993-07-24
3 26.15 ft 1951-06-02
4 26.05 ft 1950-05-09
5 23.80 ft 1973-10-11
6 23.60 ft 1963-06-25
7 23.00 ft 1958-07-10
8 22.67 ft 1989-09-08

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 14.00 ft

    There is no flooding at this level. However, at this level local officials begin increased monitoring of Salt Creek as the creek is two-thirds bankfull.

  2. 21.00 ft

    Flooding is contained to the channel at the gage site. Upstream of the gage site, southwest of North 14 Street, lowland flooding begins in areas between West O Street and Rosa Parks Way, including the railyard.

  3. 23.00 ft

    Lower areas between Capitol Beach and Interstate 80 flood, this includes commerical areas west of Sun Valley Boulevard and north of West O Street. Capitol Beach itself may see flooding along the east side closer to the railroad tracks.

  4. 26.50 ft

    Areas of the North Bottoms begin to flood as does the area around, and including, the baseball field at Haymarket Park.

  5. 29.00 ft

    Major flooding is imminent, or ongoing, as levees may begin to be overtopped all along Salt Creek. At this level the water is near the level observed in May of 2015 when areas like Nebraska Innovation Campus flooded and levees were at capacity.

  6. 33.00 ft

    Water reaches the bottom of the 27th street bridge.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Salt Creek flooding at Lincoln?

No. The Salt Creek at Lincoln is at 3.01 ft, 10.99 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Lincoln?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 14 ft, minor flooding 20.5 ft, moderate flooding 26.5 ft and major flooding 29 ft.

What is the highest the Salt Creek has been at Lincoln?

The highest crest on record is 28.87 ft, on 2015-05-07.

Is the Salt Creek high or low right now at Lincoln?

At 3.01 ft it is higher than 74% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge LCNN1); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 06803500). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.