Platte River near Overton water level

Name: Platte River near Overton water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Platte River, Nebraska, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.56ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 148 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Low water at Platte River near Overton: the gauge reads 2.56 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.33 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.77 ft below typical. It is 4.94 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.75 ft, a difference of −0.19 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 58 °F.

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.33 ft0.77 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.75 ft – 4.26 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.75 ft−0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.49 ft – 3.75 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.26 ft – 3.99 ft
Highest on record: 10.43 ftMay 15, 1973

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 7.50 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Floodwaters reach the bottom of the Platte River Overton Bridge. In addition the gage house begins to be impacted.
12.00 ft: At this level water begins to impact nearby gravel pit operations on the north side of the channel.
7.50 ft: Minor flooding begins downstream near the Interstate 80 Elm Creek exchange.
2.56 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.43 ft	May 15, 1973
2	10.36 ft	January 9, 1974
3	9.78 ft	January 26, 1972
4	9.57 ft	January 23, 1969
5	9.44 ft	June 22, 1983
6	9.38 ft	June 28, 1983
7	9.25 ft	January 21, 1988
8	9.05 ft	May 25, 2008
9	8.94 ft	June 13, 1971
10	8.81 ft	June 15, 1995

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 65° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 69° 42° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 74° 52° 0.01 in Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 77° 56° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 80° 63° 0.02 in Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 69° 52° 0.01 in, 38% Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 68° 46° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:55 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the Platte River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River	2.41 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River	3.50 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	67 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River	3.45 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	117 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River	6.65 ft	Very high	+0.09 ft	139 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River	3.36 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	154 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Spring Creek	2.72 ft	Low	±0	2.0 mi
Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch	4.05 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	2.7 mi
Buffalo Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	3.80 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	4.0 mi
Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm CrRiver gauge, Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch	3.88 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	5.3 mi
Elm Creek near Elm CreekRiver gauge, Elm Creek	0.87 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
South Loup River at Pressey WMA near OcontoRiver gauge, South Loup River	0.61 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	36 mi
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River	0.82 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	38 mi
Sappa Creek near StamfordRiver gauge, Sappa Creek	5.98 ft	Normal	±0	39 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Platte River near Overton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.75 ft.

What is flood stage for the Platte River near Overton?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 4.94 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Platte River near Overton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.33 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.75 ft and 4.26 ft, based on 17 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Platte River near Overton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.56 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte River near Overton rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte River near Overton normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06768000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.68257, -99.54024 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	2.56 ft	2026-10-20 01:00	Provisional
Flow	148 cfs	2026-10-20 01:00	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-20 01:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte River near Overton (usgs:06768000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/platte-river-near-overton

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer