Salt Creek at Lincoln (27th Street), NE
River level and flood forecast · Lancaster County
Normal3.1 ftas of Mon 2:25 PM
The river is 17.4 ft below flood stage (20.5 ft).
Flow: 320 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Thu, Oct 1, 5:15 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 29 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 26.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 20.5 ft |
| Action stage | 14 ft |
| Record crest (May 7, 2015) | 28.87 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 33 ftWater reaches the bottom of the 27th street bridge.
- 29 ftMajor 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.
- 26.5 ftAreas of the North Bottoms begin to flood as does the area around, and including, the baseball field at Haymarket Park.
- 23 ftLower 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.
- 21 ftFlooding 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.
- 14 ftThere 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.
Highest crests on record
- 28.87 ft — May 7, 2015
- 26.52 ft — July 24, 1993
- 26.15 ft — June 2, 1951
- 26.05 ft — May 9, 1950
- 25.86 ft — October 1, 2026
Recent crests: 25.86 ft (October 1, 2026) · 10.38 ft (August 10, 2025) · 14.13 ft (July 2, 2024) · 8.66 ft (August 26, 2023) · 8.37 ft (June 17, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamSalt Creek at Innovation Campus at Lincoln, NE
- DownstreamSalt Creek at Lincoln (70th Street), NE
- Deadmans Run at Lincoln (38th Street), NE
- Antelope Creek at Lincoln (27th Street), NE
- Little Salt Creek near Lincoln (Arbor Road), NE
- Stevens Creek near Lincoln, NE
- Oak Creek at Lincoln (Air Park Road), NE
- Salt Creek at Lincoln (Pioneers Boulevard), NE
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (LCNN1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.