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Platte River near Overton water level

River gauge, Platte River, Nebraska, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.58ft Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
161 cfs
Water temperature
53 °F
3 5 8 10 Highest onrecord 10.43 ft Minor floodstage 7.50 ft

History

History
234ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 18234ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
246ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 18Minor flood stage246ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Platte River near Overton: the gauge reads 2.58 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.17 ft, based on 16 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.59 ft below typical. It is 4.92 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.79 ft, a difference of −0.21 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.32 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 53 °F.

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.17 ft0.59 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.54 ft – 4.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year
2.79 ft−0.21 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.
2.58 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 %.

RankLevelDate
110.43 ftMay 15, 1973
210.36 ftJanuary 9, 1974
39.78 ftJanuary 26, 1972
49.57 ftJanuary 23, 1969
59.44 ftJune 22, 1983
69.38 ftJune 28, 1983
79.25 ftJanuary 21, 1988
89.05 ftMay 25, 2008
98.94 ftJune 13, 1971
108.81 ftJune 15, 1995

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.17 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 29° – Wind 20 mph
18 Sun 67° 40° – Wind 17 mph
19 Mon 67° 39° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 71° 47° 0.01 in Wind 16 mph
21 Wed 76° 55° 0.05 in Wind 13 mph
22 Thu 79° 58° – Wind 14 mph
23 Fri 77° 65° 0.01 in Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 46%

Map

Other gauges on the Platte River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Platte River near KearneyRiver gauge, Platte River 2.71 ft Normal +0.08 ft 24 mi
Platte River near Grand IslandRiver gauge, Platte River 3.42 ft Normal +0.01 ft 67 mi
Platte River near DuncanRiver gauge, Platte River 3.52 ft Normal ±0 117 mi
Platte River near SchuylerRiver gauge, Platte River 6.60 ft Very high −0.06 ft 139 mi
Platte River at North BendRiver gauge, Platte River 3.52 ft Normal +0.06 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 4.07 ft Low −0.55 ft 2.7 mi
Buffalo Creek near OvertonRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 3.92 ft Normal −0.04 ft 4.0 mi
Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch near Elm CrRiver gauge, Platte R Mid-Ch, Cottonwood Ranch 3.94 ft Very low −0.70 ft 5.3 mi
Elm Creek near Elm CreekRiver gauge, Elm Creek 0.87 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 8 mi
South Loup River at Pressey WMA near OcontoRiver gauge, South Loup River 0.58 ft Normal ±0 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 0.21 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.79 ft.

What is flood stage for the Platte River near Overton?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 4.92 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 3.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.54 ft and 4.06 ft, based on 16 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 17, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.58 ft. Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Platte River near Overton rising or falling?

Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platte River near Overton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 16 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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.58 ft 2026-10-18 03:00 Provisional
Flow 161 cfs 2026-10-18 03:00 Provisional
Water temperature 53 °F 2026-10-18 03:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Platte River near Overton (usgs:06768000). Accessed October 18, 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.