South Platte River river
Total streamflow across the South Platte River was last observed at 1,421 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,819 acre-ft of water today; about 9% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 15,568 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-06-16 when daily discharge volume was observed at 90,736 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the South Platte River At South Platte reporting a streamflow rate of 346.00 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the South Platte River Below Union Ave with a gauge stage of 10.84 ft. This river is monitored from 17 different streamgauging stations along the South Platte River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 8,457 ft, the South Platte River Near Lake George.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the South Platte River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the South Platte River
All 17 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
South Platte River Near Lake George
CO
USGS 06696000
|
234 | 1.71 | 0.9 | 325% | 3 | 1,230 | 8,457 |
|
South Platte River Above Cheesman Lake
CO
USGS 06700000
|
259 | 5.57 | 1.2 | 143% | 62 | 1,980 | 6,851 |
|
South Platte River Below Cheesman Lake
CO
USGS 06701500
|
151 | 1.19 | 0.0 | 74% | 36 | 2,130 | 6,630 |
|
South Platte River At South Platte
CO
USGS 06707500
|
346 | 2.76 | 1.2 | 68% | 24 | 4,080 | 6,094 |
|
South Platte River At Waterton
CO
USGS 06708000
|
35 | 0.66 | 0.0 | 46% | 1 | 3,050 | 5,492 |
|
South Platte River Below Union Ave
CO
USGS 06710247
|
20 | 10.84 | -38.3 | 12% | 2 | 3,140 | 5,294 |
|
South Platte River At Englewood
CO
USGS 06711565
|
51 | 1.40 | -21.4 | 18% | 6 | 4,970 | 5,253 |
|
South Platte River At Denver
CO
USGS 06714000
|
133 | 2.93 | -5.0 | 27% | 45 | 5,500 | 5,158 |
|
South Platte River At Henderson
CO
USGS 06720500
|
172 | 3.26 | 22.0 | 34% | 31 | 8,240 | 5,004 |
|
South Platte River At Fort Lupton
CO
USGS 06721000
|
152 | 3.33 | -3.8 | 37% | 72 | 7,020 | 4,870 |
|
South Platte River Near Kersey
CO
USGS 06754000
|
238 | 1.98 | -10.5 | 13% | 71 | 9,680 | 4,591 |
|
South Platte River At Masters
CO
USGS 06756995
|
344 | 2.92 | -7.5 | 26% | 1 | 16,200 | 4,457 |
|
South Platte River Near Weldona
CO
USGS 06758500
|
169 | 1.87 | -9.6 | 17% | 35 | 7,800 | 4,318 |
|
South Platte River At Fort Morgan
CO
USGS 06759500
|
134 | 9.10 | -6.9 | 12% | 27 | 59,900 | 4,261 |
|
South Platte River At Cooper Bridge
CO
USGS 06759910
|
136 | 2.47 | -18.6 | 13% | 1 | 15,500 | 4,140 |
|
South Platte River Near Crook
CO
USGS 06760500
|
14 | 1.61 | 0.0 | 2% | 4 | 16,900 | 3,707 |
|
South Platte River At Roscoe Nebr
NE
USGS 06764880
|
29 | 2.45 | -5.0 | 10% | 0 | 18,000 | 3,147 |
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
South Platte River
The South Platte River is a tributary of the Platte River and flows through Colorado and Nebraska. It is 435 miles long and has a rich history of being used for transportation, irrigation, and recreation. The river originates in the Rocky Mountains and runs through several reservoirs and dams, including Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir and Chatfield Reservoir. These reservoirs are used for irrigation, hydroelectric power, and flood control. The South Platte River also provides recreational opportunities such as fishing, kayaking, and camping. In addition to its recreational uses, the river is an important source of water for agriculture, including crops such as corn, wheat, and alfalfa. Despite its many uses, the South Platte River faces threats of pollution and overuse, highlighting the importance of responsible management and conservation efforts.
Recreation along the South Platte River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the South Platte 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 South Platte River
Where does the data for the South Platte 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.