August, 2005
The Platte River Stream Flow "Flat Lines" for the 4th Year in a Row


Image © Ken Dewey, SNR, UNL.  August 5, 2005:  Looking Northeast from the Nebraska Highway 34 bridge,
near Grand Island, Nebraska.  Despite slightly above normal rainfall this year upstream of this location, the
Platte river has run out of water for the 4th year in a row.


Image © Ken Dewey, SNR, UNL.  August 5, 2005:  Looking Southwest from the Nebraska Highway 34 bridge,
near Grand Island, Nebraska.  This is also the river gauge location (which is noted by the red circle on the following map).


PHOTO GALLERY THIS YEAR (2005)
Central Platte River Year 2005 Drought Photos

PHOTO GALLERYS LAST THREE YEARS
Central Platte River Year 2004 Drought Photos
Central Platte River Year 2003 Drought Photos
Central Platte River Year 2002 Drought Photos

Related:
Lower Platte Tour 2005
Nebraska statewide precipitation and drought information, 1999 to 2005
Lake McConaughy only rises 3 feet during the past 12 months

USGS Station 06770500 Grand Island, Nebraska.


Platte River Flow July 27 - August 5, 2005
Note the flow (blue line) fell to ZERO on August 3, 2005.


Platte River Flow January 1, 2005 - August 5, 2005
Note the peak flow (blue line) of 6,000 cubic feet per second on May 12, 2005.
This peak was the result of a 10-14 inch rainfall in the Hastings to Wood River,
Nebraska area the evening of May 11, 2005.  There was flooding in Grand Island.


Platte River Flow August 6, 2003 - August 5, 2005
Note the flow (blue line) fell to ZERO in the Summer of 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Following the irrigation season, flow began again in November 2003,
late October 2004, and would be expected to region again during the fall of 2005.

Nebraska Stream flow Conditions as of August 6, 2005

Explanation
[color code for] High
[color code for] > 90th percentile
[color code for] 75th - 89th percentile
[color code for] 25th - 74th percentile
[color code for] 10th - 24th percentile
[color code for] < 10th percentile
[color code for] Low
[color code for] Not ranked
The colored dots on this map depict stream flow conditions as a percentile, 
which is computed from the period of record for the current day of the year. 
Only stations with at least 30 years of record are used.
The gray circles indicate other stations that were not ranked in percentiles 
either because they have fewer than 30 years of record or because they 
report parameters other than stream flow. Some stations, for example, 
measure stage only.

Nebraska Precipitation Totals Compared to Normal
January 1, 1999 - July 31, 2005 (79 months)
All values are in inches.

Total
Total
79 months
Nebraska
79 months
79 months
Deficit -
city
obs
Normal
Surplus +
Chadron
114.79
111.26
+3.53
Grand-Island
144.64
172.14
-27.50
Hastings
161.56
185.80
-24.24
Kearney
137.90
168.10
-30.20
Lincoln
174.89
187.94
-13.05
Norfolk
161.04
177.76
-16.72
North-Platte
123.19
131.75
-8.56
Omaha-Epp
192.89
200.21
-7.32
Omaha-Valley
194.56
200.21
-5.65
Scottsbluff
88.49
109.53
-21.04
Sidney
106.79
126.21
-19.42
Valentine
129.05
130.56
-1.51

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