USGS Streamgage 06800500
Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr.
Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. is USGS streamgage 06800500 in Nebraska, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10220003. It sits on the Elkhorn River, alongside 4 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 6,900 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1881. Typical flow runs near 1,001.5 cfs in July and 1,382 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead, alongside daily high and low water-temperature forecasts.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Nebraska
- Drainage area
- 6,900 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 1,133 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10220003
- Coordinates
- 41.29333, -96.28389
- USGS site number
- 06800500
- Records begin
- 1881-01-01 (145 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr.. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 708 | 749 | 808 | ||
| 657 | 703 | 776 | ||
| 625 | 675 | 756 | ||
| 607 | 669 | 819 | ||
| 592 | 676 | 941 | ||
| 599 | 718 | 1,160 | ||
| 647 | 959 | 2,123 | ||
| 809 | 1,724 | 4,589 | ||
| 1,022 | 2,455 | 6,204 | ||
| 1,018 | 2,214 | 5,069 | ||
| 980 | 1,925 | 4,033 | ||
| 896 | 1,595 | 3,150 | ||
| 841 | 1,409 | 2,650 | ||
| 784 | 1,247 | 2,264 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 127 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 280.5 | 576.8 | 1,443.9 | |
| February | 330.4 | 869.4 | 2,747.6 | |
| March | 666.4 | 1,393.2 | 5,109.7 | |
| April | 664.2 | 1,382 | 4,488.7 | |
| May | 599.3 | 1,577.4 | 5,228.4 | |
| June | 547.9 | 1,702.3 | 6,898.7 | |
| July | 341.4 | 1,001.5 | 3,442.3 | |
| August | 224.9 | 650.4 | 2,181.9 | |
| September | 228.9 | 544 | 1,883 | |
| October | 291.4 | 564.3 | 1,964.8 | |
| November | 340.5 | 676.9 | 1,860.3 | |
| December | 295.2 | 635.8 | 1,612.9 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 1,702.3 cfs, against 544 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr.?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 576.8 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 280.5 and 1,443.9 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06800500 begin in 1881, about 145 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr.?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. A companion model forecasts each day's water-temperature high and low. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr.?
- The gauge sits at 41.29333, -96.28389, in Nebraska, in hydrologic subbasin 10220003, at an elevation of about 1,133 feet, draining roughly 6,900 square miles.
- Can I use Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Elkhorn River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Elkhorn River in full.
- Elkhorn River at Ewing, Nebr. 1,400 sq mi
- Elkhorn River at Norfolk, Nebr. 2,790 sq mi
- Elkhorn River at Pilger, Nebr. 4,360 sq mi
- Elkhorn River at West Point, Nebr. 4,676 sq mi
- Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. this page