SNOFLO
 



PLATTE RIVER

RIVER LEVELS
April 28, 2025


Total streamflow across the Platte River was last observed at 20,853 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 41,361 acre-ft of water today; about 53% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 39,198 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 At Louisville Ne reporting a streamflow rate of 6,160 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Platte R Nr Ashland with a gauge stage of 14.59 ft. 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 2025-04-28
Discharge Volume 41,361 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 20,853.0 cfs
-276.0 cfs (-1.31%)
Percent of Normal 53.2%
Maximum 281,920.0 cfs
2019-05-29
Seasonal Avg 39,198 cfs
       
River Streamflow Levels
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0Total River Discharge (cfs)19. Apr20. Apr21. Apr22. Apr23. Apr24. Apr25. Apr26. Apr27. Apr28. Apr010k20k30k
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0Total River Discharge (cfs)1. Jan1. Feb1. Mar1. Apr1. May1. Jun1. Jul1. Aug1. Sep1. Oct1. Nov1. Dec1. Jan025k50k75k
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0YearAnnual Peak Discharge(cfs)20102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026100k10k1M

Weather Forecast

Streamflow Elevation Profile
Created with Highcharts 8.0.0

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.