Big Blue River at Seward

1. 27.00 ftFloodwaters are level with the top of the federal levee. Overflows from the mouth of Lincoln Creek can create a "lake effect" and affect the readings at the Highway 34 bridge gage on the Blue River during extreme floods.
2. 25.00 ftHighway 34 crossing needs to be closed.
3. 22.50 ftWater begins to impact the bottom of the Highway 34 bridge at the gage site. Extensive flooding is occurring along the mainstem of the Big Blue River.
4. 22.00 ftState Highway 34 may flood. In addition the Fairgrounds is flooding.
5. 18.00 ftLowland flooding begins, including the Blue Valley Campground in Seward.

Chance of flooding, September to November

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 23, 2026.

Most recent crests

• July 3, 2024: 15.80 ft
• July 8, 2023: 5.17 ft
• June 18, 2022: 9.31 ft
• March 15, 2021: 15.46 ft
• February 3, 2020: 10.92 ft
• March 14, 2019: 24.11 ft
• July 4, 2018: 16.18 ft
• August 20, 2017: 18.20 ft
• May 30, 2016: 16.94 ft
• May 7, 2015: 15.23 ft

• UpstreamBig Blue River
• DownstreamBig Blue River at Crete
• Lincoln Creek at Seward
• Twin Lakes Reservoir at Twin Lakes Reservoir
• West Fork Big Blue River at Dorchester
• Pawnee Lake at Pawnee Lake
• Branched Oak Reservoir at Branched Oak Reservoir
• Conestoga Lake at Conestoga Lake
• Middle Creek at Lincoln (SW 63rd Street)

Forecasts by the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. Stage may be affected by ice.

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.