Platte river flucuations

luvsitall · 11-11-2009, 04:33 PM

USGS Real-Time Water Data for USGS 06796000 Platte River at North Bend, Nebr.

Look at the gage part, it's like a yoo yoo this year, anyone have any thoughts on this. Pain in the rear. I think Columbus has alot to do with it. with the river high this only makes it worse.

Scott Eveland · 11-11-2009, 04:42 PM

It appears that the daily fluctuations are normal, going back for years, although I would wonder why there are such fluctuations each day...???

luvsitall · 11-11-2009, 06:28 PM

it use to be 6 in at the most, now it's 8-12 inches. just curious, thanxx Scott

Scott Eveland · 11-11-2009, 06:31 PM

That's just odd, I wonder why the fluctuations... Where is the nearest dam/check to that area?

luvsitall · 11-11-2009, 06:51 PM

If you check west of Columbus its steady, Something near Col. It hasn't rained for 2 weeks and the river usually drops to normal. this fall has been wierd. Some guys have no bars at all this year.

USGS Real-Time Data for Nebraska_ Streamflow

Scott Eveland · 11-11-2009, 09:31 PM

Part of the issue is the fact that there is over 800 cfs coming from Colorado on the South Platte, when typically there is less than 200, or even 100 cfs this time of year in the last decade. The South Platte river flows are returning to historical "normal" levels we haven't seen for about a decade thanks to the drought, as Colorado is stacked for water, and many of the South Platte reservoirs on the front range and eastern plains there are close to full.

Even the North Platte from Wyoming is higher than the past decade's "normal" and is nearing historical normal--but none of that water is flowing past Lake McConaughy right now.

At GI the Platte was almost double what it was last year at this time on today's reading. (GI is as far east as CNPPID monitors.)

CNPPID Reservoir Elevations & Platte River Flow Data

I guess on this end of the state, we're ecstatic and dancing in the streets about the higher water flows in the Platte River system.

In your area, apparently not so much...

So, that explains the higher flows, but that daily yo-yo of nearly a foot is odd...

duckhuntr · 11-11-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Eveland

I guess on this end of the state, we're ecstatic and dancing in the streets about the higher water flows in the Platte River system.

In your area, apparently not so much...

So, that explains the higher flows, but that daily yo-yo of nearly a foot is odd...

It is still screwing with my eye fishing in the "good" part of the state.

bschiltz · 11-11-2009, 11:24 PM

Hi guys, my name is Ben and I'm new here. Just thought I'd throw in my $.02. I worked for the company that did the vegetation surveys on the Platte River this summer for the Platte River Recovery Project and we were seeing higher than normal flows for almost the entire time we were on the river. Our protocol said survey was to be done at flows of 500cfs or less, but we had to work up to 1000cfs to finish the surveys before the deadline. I haven't been keeping track of the flows since I started school again but in general I think it's been a much wetter year than "normal" for several places.

Great website, by the way! I've been reading on here for a couple weeks and already have learned a ton

Ben

luvsitall · 11-12-2009, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Eveland

Part of the issue is the fact that there is over 800 cfs coming from Colorado on the South Platte, when typically there is less than 200, or even 100 cfs this time of year in the last decade. The South Platte river flows are returning to historical "normal" levels we haven't seen for about a decade thanks to the drought, as Colorado is stacked for water, and many of the South Platte reservoirs on the front range and eastern plains there are close to full.

Even the North Platte from Wyoming is higher than the past decade's "normal" and is nearing historical normal--but none of that water is flowing past Lake McConaughy right now.

At GI the Platte was almost double what it was last year at this time on today's reading. (GI is as far east as CNPPID monitors.)

CNPPID Reservoir Elevations & Platte River Flow Data

I guess on this end of the state, we're ecstatic and dancing in the streets about the higher water flows in the Platte River system.

In your area, apparently not so much...

So, that explains the higher flows, but that daily yo-yo of nearly a foot is odd...

thanx and added to favs

CaseAce · 11-12-2009, 09:27 AM

Just a quick note... I hunted the platte yesterday and it was the lowest Ive seen it in over a month, maybe two. My decoy water, which is usually knee deep, was about showing bar. My measuring stick has it down over 8 inches from the higher water a couple weeks ago. Gotta love hunting a low river in my book...

Chen rossii · 11-12-2009, 11:41 AM

Near Grand Island it has not been too bad but those guys west of Kearney have been dealing with fluctuating water levels for a few years now. Not for sure where they were doing it from but they were sending surges down river every few days the past 3-4 years.

Huntges11 · 11-12-2009, 02:27 PM

Hey guys anybody think that brand new water plant out west of Hwy 6 and Q St has anything to do with it? Maybe still gauging how much or little water they can pull out of the river without drastically affecting everything downriver?

luvsitall · 11-12-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huntges11

Hey guys anybody think that brand new water plant out west of Hwy 6 and Q St has anything to do with it? Maybe still gauging how much or little water they can pull out of the river without drastically affecting everything downriver?

check the gages at North Bend and the next one west Duncun and thats where it starts. so no would be my guess.

Reflex · 11-12-2009, 05:34 PM

The fluctuations in cfs are normal, the river stage is just much higher than usual. The river hasn't come down since we have got the rain a couple of weeks ago. The reason for the fluctuations is from hydro-peeking at the Loup River Public Power District. During high energy demands, very little water is let go into the Platte. The entire lower Platte feels the effects from this hydro-peeking, but it really takes a toll between the power canal and where the Elkhorn River enters the Platte.

77tech · 11-12-2009, 09:52 PM

Reflex is correct the fluctuations have to be from the flow through the Columbus power house. The more turbines they have online the higher the flow. I believe they have two or three turbines at the Columbus power house. They should have some ability to store "some" water in lake Babcock/North and then release it when they are generating more. Luvistall you said the amount of fluctuations is greater this year than in the past. If you are comparing to the last year or two I have a theory for that too. Loup power just completed a major renovation on both the Monroe and Columbus power houses. It involved rebuilding the turbines. If they had one or more turbines offline for a complete rebuild that may explain lower fluctuation the last year or two. I don't remember how long the renovation took or when it was completed.

Huntges11 · 11-13-2009, 09:58 AM

Excellent reports Reflex and 77tech! That would explain it. Just curious where do you guys get this info? I had no idea there were pumphouses on the Platte up there and we've been on the river a LONG time down this way.
Thanks again.

luvsitall · 11-13-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huntges11

Excellent reports Reflex and 77tech! That would explain it. Just curious where do you guys get this info? I had no idea there were pumphouses on the Platte up there and we've been on the river a LONG time down this way.
Thanks again.

looks like we have to yo yo this weekend in between gulls and comorants!!!

should be a few new birds tomm.

77tech · 11-13-2009, 06:28 PM

Huntges11 there is nothing on the Platte. The Columbus and Monroe power houses are part of the Loup Canal system. The canal system starts at the headworks park west of Genoa. Water from the Loup river is diverted into the man made canal system at head works. From the headworks the canal system flows to the east and works its way further north away from the river. The water flows through the canal by gravity just like the river however it drops elevation at a lesser rate than the river. This allows Loup Power District to run the water through hydroelectric turbines at the power house just northwest of Monroe and just north of Columbus. The Loup hydro system is just like any other hydro generation station such as Kingsley dam at Ogalla or Lewis and Clark at Yankton. The Loup canal sytem flows back into the Platte river just east of Columbus just a little east of where the Loup River flows into the Platte River. The Loup River Hydroelectric Project construction started in late 1934 and was completed in the spring of 1937 (google is your friend).

Reflex · 11-13-2009, 08:48 PM

I'm a biologist on the Platte. I have to look at those flows everyday!

11-11-2009, 04:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
luvsitall luvsitall is sitting in the basins for 3 weeks listening togrrr Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: county with NO ducks Posts: 446 Thanks: 281 Thanked 90 Times in 77 Posts	Platte river flucuations USGS Real-Time Water Data for USGS 06796000 Platte River at North Bend, Nebr. Look at the gage part, it's like a yoo yoo this year, anyone have any thoughts on this. Pain in the rear. I think Columbus has alot to do with it. with the river high this only makes it worse.

11-11-2009, 04:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Scott Eveland Scott Eveland is exciting about the rising water! Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Water, The West, The Best Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor Certified Boating Instructor Posts: 1,447 Thanks: 215 Thanked 570 Times in 253 Posts	It appears that the daily fluctuations are normal, going back for years, although I would wonder why there are such fluctuations each day...??? __________________

11-11-2009, 06:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
Scott Eveland Scott Eveland is exciting about the rising water! Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Water, The West, The Best Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor Certified Boating Instructor Posts: 1,447 Thanks: 215 Thanked 570 Times in 253 Posts	That's just odd, I wonder why the fluctuations... Where is the nearest dam/check to that area? __________________

11-11-2009, 09:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
Scott Eveland Scott Eveland is exciting about the rising water! Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Water, The West, The Best Volunteer Hunter Education Instructor Certified Boating Instructor Posts: 1,447 Thanks: 215 Thanked 570 Times in 253 Posts	Part of the issue is the fact that there is over 800 cfs coming from Colorado on the South Platte, when typically there is less than 200, or even 100 cfs this time of year in the last decade. The South Platte river flows are returning to historical "normal" levels we haven't seen for about a decade thanks to the drought, as Colorado is stacked for water, and many of the South Platte reservoirs on the front range and eastern plains there are close to full. Even the North Platte from Wyoming is higher than the past decade's "normal" and is nearing historical normal--but none of that water is flowing past Lake McConaughy right now. At GI the Platte was almost double what it was last year at this time on today's reading. (GI is as far east as CNPPID monitors.) CNPPID Reservoir Elevations & Platte River Flow Data I guess on this end of the state, we're ecstatic and dancing in the streets about the higher water flows in the Platte River system. In your area, apparently not so much... So, that explains the higher flows, but that daily yo-yo of nearly a foot is odd... __________________

11-12-2009, 11:41 AM	#11 (permalink)
Chen rossii Chen rossii is hoping for dry corn fields come the end of February and March Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Platte River Posts: 502 Thanks: 23 Thanked 80 Times in 43 Posts	Near Grand Island it has not been too bad but those guys west of Kearney have been dealing with fluctuating water levels for a few years now. Not for sure where they were doing it from but they were sending surges down river every few days the past 3-4 years. __________________ "Chip, I'm going to come at you like a spider monkey."

11-11-2009, 06:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
luvsitall luvsitall is sitting in the basins for 3 weeks listening togrrr Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: county with NO ducks Posts: 446 Thanks: 281 Thanked 90 Times in 77 Posts	it use to be 6 in at the most, now it's 8-12 inches. just curious, thanxx Scott

11-11-2009, 06:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
luvsitall luvsitall is sitting in the basins for 3 weeks listening togrrr Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: county with NO ducks Posts: 446 Thanks: 281 Thanked 90 Times in 77 Posts	If you check west of Columbus its steady, Something near Col. It hasn't rained for 2 weeks and the river usually drops to normal. this fall has been wierd. Some guys have no bars at all this year. USGS Real-Time Data for Nebraska_ Streamflow

11-11-2009, 11:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
bschiltz bschiltz has no status. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lincoln Posts: 46 Thanks: 33 Thanked 18 Times in 12 Posts	Hi guys, my name is Ben and I'm new here. Just thought I'd throw in my $.02. I worked for the company that did the vegetation surveys on the Platte River this summer for the Platte River Recovery Project and we were seeing higher than normal flows for almost the entire time we were on the river. Our protocol said survey was to be done at flows of 500cfs or less, but we had to work up to 1000cfs to finish the surveys before the deadline. I haven't been keeping track of the flows since I started school again but in general I think it's been a much wetter year than "normal" for several places. Great website, by the way! I've been reading on here for a couple weeks and already have learned a ton Ben

11-12-2009, 09:27 AM	#10 (permalink)
CaseAce CaseAce has no status. Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ashland, NE Posts: 55 Thanks: 54 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Just a quick note... I hunted the platte yesterday and it was the lowest Ive seen it in over a month, maybe two. My decoy water, which is usually knee deep, was about showing bar. My measuring stick has it down over 8 inches from the higher water a couple weeks ago. Gotta love hunting a low river in my book...

11-12-2009, 02:27 PM	#12 (permalink)
Huntges11 Huntges11 has no status. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Millard Posts: 10 Thanks: 6 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Hey guys anybody think that brand new water plant out west of Hwy 6 and Q St has anything to do with it? Maybe still gauging how much or little water they can pull out of the river without drastically affecting everything downriver?

11-12-2009, 05:34 PM	#14 (permalink)
Reflex Reflex has no status. Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 127 Thanks: 0 Thanked 31 Times in 15 Posts	The fluctuations in cfs are normal, the river stage is just much higher than usual. The river hasn't come down since we have got the rain a couple of weeks ago. The reason for the fluctuations is from hydro-peeking at the Loup River Public Power District. During high energy demands, very little water is let go into the Platte. The entire lower Platte feels the effects from this hydro-peeking, but it really takes a toll between the power canal and where the Elkhorn River enters the Platte.

11-12-2009, 09:52 PM	#15 (permalink)
77tech 77tech has no status. Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Columbus Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	Reflex is correct the fluctuations have to be from the flow through the Columbus power house. The more turbines they have online the higher the flow. I believe they have two or three turbines at the Columbus power house. They should have some ability to store "some" water in lake Babcock/North and then release it when they are generating more. Luvistall you said the amount of fluctuations is greater this year than in the past. If you are comparing to the last year or two I have a theory for that too. Loup power just completed a major renovation on both the Monroe and Columbus power houses. It involved rebuilding the turbines. If they had one or more turbines offline for a complete rebuild that may explain lower fluctuation the last year or two. I don't remember how long the renovation took or when it was completed.

11-13-2009, 09:58 AM	#16 (permalink)
Huntges11 Huntges11 has no status. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Millard Posts: 10 Thanks: 6 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Excellent reports Reflex and 77tech! That would explain it. Just curious where do you guys get this info? I had no idea there were pumphouses on the Platte up there and we've been on the river a LONG time down this way. Thanks again.

11-13-2009, 06:28 PM	#18 (permalink)
77tech 77tech has no status. Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Columbus Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	Huntges11 there is nothing on the Platte. The Columbus and Monroe power houses are part of the Loup Canal system. The canal system starts at the headworks park west of Genoa. Water from the Loup river is diverted into the man made canal system at head works. From the headworks the canal system flows to the east and works its way further north away from the river. The water flows through the canal by gravity just like the river however it drops elevation at a lesser rate than the river. This allows Loup Power District to run the water through hydroelectric turbines at the power house just northwest of Monroe and just north of Columbus. The Loup hydro system is just like any other hydro generation station such as Kingsley dam at Ogalla or Lewis and Clark at Yankton. The Loup canal sytem flows back into the Platte river just east of Columbus just a little east of where the Loup River flows into the Platte River. The Loup River Hydroelectric Project construction started in late 1934 and was completed in the spring of 1937 (google is your friend).

11-13-2009, 08:48 PM	#19 (permalink)
Reflex Reflex has no status. Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 127 Thanks: 0 Thanked 31 Times in 15 Posts	I'm a biologist on the Platte. I have to look at those flows everyday!

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