USGS Streamgage 06461500
Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr.
Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr. is USGS streamgage 06461500 in Nebraska, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10150004. It sits on the Niobrara River, alongside 4 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 7,150 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1945. Typical flow runs near 611.8 cfs in July and 921.6 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
- 7,150 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 2,301 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10150004
- Coordinates
- 42.90208, -100.36253
- USGS site number
- 06461500
- Records begin
- 1945-10-01 (81 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Niobrara River near Sparks, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 489 | 497 | 505 | ||
| 484 | 495 | 507 | ||
| 483 | 497 | 522 | ||
| 494 | 530 | 662 | ||
| 500 | 563 | 758 | ||
| 501 | 558 | 718 | ||
| 513 | 584 | 754 | ||
| 530 | 639 | 901 | ||
| 527 | 653 | 959 | ||
| 520 | 624 | 858 | ||
| 514 | 601 | 774 | ||
| 506 | 585 | 745 | ||
| 497 | 571 | 719 | ||
| 490 | 560 | 699 |
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 81 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 | 574.9 | 809.3 | 1,026.4 | |
| February | 688.1 | 891.3 | 1,152.8 | |
| March | 738.7 | 965.3 | 1,318.7 | |
| April | 709.1 | 921.6 | 1,222.3 | |
| May | 658.7 | 895.7 | 1,327.4 | |
| June | 583.7 | 792.4 | 1,191.7 | |
| July | 429.7 | 611.8 | 851.5 | |
| August | 431.7 | 555.1 | 755.8 | |
| September | 455.3 | 564.8 | 778.9 | |
| October | 518.5 | 643.3 | 861.9 | |
| November | 580.9 | 793.5 | 961.1 | |
| December | 590.8 | 807.6 | 999.6 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr. normally run highest?
- March, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 965.3 cfs, against 555.1 cfs in August, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr.?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 809.3 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 574.9 and 1,026.4 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr. been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06461500 begin in 1945, about 81 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 Niobrara River near Sparks, 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 Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr.?
- The gauge sits at 42.90208, -100.36253, in Nebraska, in hydrologic subbasin 10150004, at an elevation of about 2,301 feet, draining roughly 7,150 square miles.
- Can I use Niobrara River near Sparks, 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 Niobrara River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Niobrara River in full.
- Niobrara River at Agate, Nebr. 934 sq mi
- Niobrara River near Sparks, Nebr. this page
- Niobrara River near Verdel, Nebr. 11,580 sq mi
- Niobrara River at Niobrara, Nebr.
- Niobrara River below Soldier Creek near Niobrara, Nebr.