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Total streamflow across the
Platte River
was last observed at
23,013
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
45,646
acre-ft of water today; about 56%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
41,393 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-05-29 when daily discharge volume was observed at
281,920 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Platte R Nr Ashland
reporting a streamflow rate of 6,680 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Platte River, with a gauge stage of
14.76 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 13 different streamgauging stations along the Platte River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,300 ft, the
Platte River Near Overton.
| Last Updated | 2025-03-29 |
| Discharge Volume | 45,646 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
23,013.0 cfs
-147.0 cfs (-0.63%) |
| Percent of Normal | 55.6% |
| Maximum |
281,920.0 cfs
2019-05-29 |
| Seasonal Avg | 41,393 cfs |
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about 310 mi (500 km) long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles (1,690 km). The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The Platte over most of its length is a muddy, broad, shallow, meandering stream with a swampy bottom and many islands—a braided stream. These characteristics made it too difficult for canoe travel, and it was never used as a major navigation route by European-American trappers or explorers.The Platte is one of the most significant tributary systems in the watershed of the Missouri, draining a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. The river valley played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States, providing the route for several major emigrant trails, including the Oregon, California, Mormon and Bozeman trails. The first Europeans to see the Platte were French explorers and fur trappers about 1714; they first called it the Nebraskier (Nebraska), a transliteration of the name given by the Otoe people, meaning "flat water". This expression is very close to the French words "rivière plate" ("flat river"), the probable origin of the name Platte River.
