North Platte River at Scottsbluff, Nebr. Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for North Platte River at Scottsbluff, Nebr. in NE, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location NE, United States
- Watershed middle north platte scotts bluff
- Primary gauge 06680500 (USGS)
About North Platte River at Scottsbluff, Nebr.
North Platte River at Scottsbluff, Nebr. sits in the Middle North Platte-Scotts Bluff watershed in Nebraska.
The watershed
The station drains 24,500 sq mi (63,455 km2) upstream of the gauge, so changes here reflect a large part of the basin above Scottsbluff. For someone watching the river for irrigation, access, or crossings, that upstream area matters more than the line on the map: this reading is what the water above the station is delivering to this point.
What the numbers say
The record high is 12.62 ft (3.85 m), set in May 2016. The record low is 3.45 ft (1.05 m), set in June 2026. That span is the range the river has shown at this site over the record, and it is wide enough to change bank exposure, shallow-water access, and intake conditions.
Seasonally, the river is usually highest in September at 6.19 ft (1.89 m) and lowest in August at 4.58 ft (1.4 m). The typical annual swing is 19.4 in (49.2 cm). For a neighbour on the banks, that tells you the river does not hold one fixed summer level; late-season water is usually lower than early-fall water, so docks, pumps, and channel depth need room for that shift.
No fastest 24-hour rise is listed in the facts here, so there is no rate-of-rise figure to lean on for warning time at this station.
Reading the hero number
This page’s hero number should be read against the median for this calendar day, not as a raw elevation by itself. A single water level can look high or low until you compare it with what the river usually does on the same date.
That comparison is the better guide for day-to-day use because it puts today’s reading in season and in context. At this station, the record spans more than 11 years, and the data come from the U.S. Geological Survey.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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Inside the freshet cycle that puts Manitoba shorelines at risk each year - and why 2026 broke the script.
The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
