North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam water level

Name: North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam 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, North Platte River, Wyoming, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.50ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 AM MDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 14.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam: the gauge reads 4.50 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 4.49 ft – 4.57 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 10.31 ftJune 22, 2011

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

What happens at each level

10.31 ft: RECORD STAGE (6/22/2011).
9.85 ft: RECORD FLOW---22,000 CFS (6/25/1955).
4.50 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.31 ft	June 22, 2011
2	8.98 ft	June 10, 1997
3	8.66 ft	June 25, 2010
4	8.62 ft	July 7, 1999
5	8.46 ft	May 28, 1995
6	8.01 ft	June 17, 1996
7	7.96 ft	April 5, 1998
8	7.87 ft	May 24, 2008
9	7.84 ft	July 23, 1983
10	7.15 ft	July 8, 2004

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 74° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 76° 45° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 73° 55° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° 0.04 in, 20% Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 58° 47° – Wind 21 mph

25 Sun 60° 42° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the North Platte River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Platte River near NorthgateRiver gauge, North Platte River	2.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	126 mi
North Platte River above Seminoe Reservoir, near SinclairRiver gauge, North Platte River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	127 mi
North Platte River at OrinRiver gauge, North Platte River	3.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	39 mi
North Platte River at ScottsbluffRiver gauge, North Platte River	4.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	56 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Laramie River near Fort LaramieRiver gauge, Laramie River	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.4 mi
Guernsey ReservoirReservoir	4,396.47 ft	Normal		8 mi
Glendo ReservoirReservoir	4,596.71 ft	Normal		23 mi

Questions and answers

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 North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 AM MDT, the water level was 4.50 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam?

The highest level on record is 10.31 ft on June 22, 2011.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06657000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.24101, -104.62802 (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	4.50 ft	2026-10-20 17:00	Provisional
Flow	14.0 cfs	2026-10-20 17:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Platte River below Whalen Diversion Dam (usgs:06657000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/north-platte-river-below-whalen-diversion-dam

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