River Report

Republican River river

11 streamgauges 3% of normal Last updated 2026-05-27
Aggregate flow
180cfs
% of normal
3%
Daily volume
357AF
Seasonal avg
5,783cfs

Total streamflow across the Republican River was last observed at 180 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 357 acre-ft of water today; about 3% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 5,783 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-07-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 45,935 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Republican R Bl Milford Dam reporting a streamflow rate of 93.6 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Republican R At Clay Center with a gauge stage of 6.75 ft. This river is monitored from 11 different streamgauging stations along the Republican River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,981 ft, the Republican River At Benkelman.

Max discharge

Republican R Bl Milford Dam

93.6cfs
Highest stage

Republican R At Clay Center

6.75ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Republican River At Benkelman

2,981ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Republican River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Republican River

All 11 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)
Republican River At Benkelman NE
USGS 06824500
40 3.19 -6.2 104% 0 1,340 2,981
Republican River At Stratton NE
USGS 06828500
31 5.94 -15.6 60% 0 2,130 2,785
Republican River At Mccook Nebr NE
USGS 06837000
30 3.36 -5.9 55% 0 3,320 2,461
Republican River At Cambridge NE
USGS 06843500
60 1.63 0.0 68% 2 280,000 2,245
Republican River Near Orleans NE
USGS 06844500
47 0.86 -13.2 48% 0 9,470 1,978
Republican River At Guide Rock NE
USGS 06853020
1 2.60 -30.5 2% 0 7,020 1,621
Republican R Nr Hardy KS
USGS 06853500
24 0.84 -8.0 18% 5 8,970 1,505
Republican R At Scandia KS
USGS 06854500
37 0.51 -7.4 12% 9 12,800 1,426
Republican R At Concordia KS
USGS 06856000
31 4.32 -7.4 9% 18 10,900 1,333
Republican R At Clay Center KS
USGS 06856600
39 6.75 -8.4 6% 20 23,000 1,174
Republican R Bl Milford Dam KS
USGS 06857100
94 4.06 2.3 32% 10 12,300 1,048
Annual peaks

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

Profile

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

About this river

Republican River

The Republican River is a 453-mile-long river that flows through the central Great Plains of North America. The river is named after the Republican Indians who inhabited the area before the arrival of European settlers. The river's hydrology has been significantly altered by human activities over the years, including the construction of several dams and reservoirs. Some of the major reservoirs on the Republican River include Harlan County Lake, Lovewell Reservoir, and Milford Lake. These reservoirs provide important water resources for irrigation and recreation in the region. Additionally, the river has played an important role in the agricultural history of the Great Plains, providing water for crops and livestock. Despite facing numerous challenges, the Republican River remains an important natural resource for the communities that depend on it.

Around the river

Recreation along the Republican River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Republican 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.

FAQ

About the Republican River

Where does the data for the Republican 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.