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Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr water level

River gauge, Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch, Nebraska, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.87ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
208 cfs
4 5 6

History

History
456ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20456ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
4567ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 204567ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
468ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026468ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
468ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026468ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr is running far below normal at 3.87 ft.

The median for mid-October is 4.71 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.83 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 4.16 ft, a difference of −0.29 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.74 ft and 5.03 ft.

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

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.71 ft0.83 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.11 ft – 6.03 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
4.16 ft−0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.74 ft – 5.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.32 ft – 5.37 ft

Floating and fishing near Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:55 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte R,So-Ch,Cottonwood Ranch 4.05 ft Low −0.02 ft 2.7 mi
Elm Creek near Elm CreekRiver gauge, Elm Creek 0.86 ft Below flood stage ±0 3.7 mi
Buffalo Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 3.76 ft Normal −0.06 ft 4.8 mi
Platte River near OvertonRiver gauge, Platte River 2.54 ft Very low −0.03 ft 5.3 mi
Spring Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Spring Creek 2.71 ft Low −0.01 ft 6 mi
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River 2.43 ft Normal +0.03 ft 19 mi
South Loup River at Pressey WMA near OcontoRiver gauge, South Loup River 0.60 ft Normal ±0 38 mi
Republican River near OrleansRiver gauge, Republican River 0.83 ft Normal +0.01 ft 38 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr higher than last year?

No, it is 0.29 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.16 ft.

What is a normal level for the Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.71 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.11 ft and 6.03 ft, based on 18 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 R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 3.87 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06768035 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.68557, -99.43927 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NGVD29
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 3.87 ft 2026-10-20 18:45 Provisional
Flow 208 cfs 2026-10-20 18:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm Cr (usgs:06768035). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/nebraska/platte-r-mid-ch-cottonwood-ranch-near-elm-cr

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.