Elkhorn River river
Total streamflow across the Elkhorn River was last observed at 3,676 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 7,291 acre-ft of water today; about 34% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 10,768 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-03-18 when daily discharge volume was observed at 100,230 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Elkhorn River At Waterloo reporting a streamflow rate of 1,890 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Elkhorn River At Pilger with a gauge stage of 6.82 ft. This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Elkhorn River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,842 ft, the Elkhorn River At Ewing.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Elkhorn River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Elkhorn River
All 5 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elkhorn River At Ewing
NE
USGS 06797500
|
71 | 2.56 | -3.9 | 30% | 5 | 6,330 | 1,842 |
|
Elkhorn R At Norfolk Ne
NE
USGS 06799000
|
336 | 3.13 | -2.9 | 50% | 45 | 38,500 | 1,502 |
|
Elkhorn River At Pilger
NE
USGS 06799315
|
577 | 6.82 | -11.0 | 49% | 75 | 16,300 | 1,400 |
|
Elkhorn River At West Point
NE
USGS 06799350
|
802 | 4.27 | -12.6 | 65% | 31 | 16,700 | 1,321 |
|
Elkhorn River At Waterloo
NE
USGS 06800500
|
1,890 | 3.11 | -16.4 | 80% | 58 | 54,000 | 1,118 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Elkhorn River
The Elkhorn River is a tributary of the Platte River, located in eastern Nebraska, United States. The river is approximately 290 miles long and has several reservoirs including Carter Lake, Lake Wanahoo, and Sherman Reservoir. The river was once a major route for fur traders and pioneers heading west. Today, it is an important source of water for irrigation and has several hydroelectric dams along its length. The river is also a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and tubing. The Elkhorn River provides habitat for several species of fish, including catfish, bass, and carp, and is a significant source of water for agricultural uses in the region.
Track the Elkhorn River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Elkhorn River
Where does the data for the Elkhorn River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.