USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
06784000 South Loup River at Saint Michael, Nebr.
LOCATION - Lat 41°01'57", long 98°44'26" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, in sec.12, T.12 N., R.13 W., Buffalo County, NE, Hydrologic Unit 10210004, 5 ft downstream and 30 ft shoreward from left downstream corner of county highway bridge, 0.6 mi Northeast of St. Michael, 3.4 mi upstream from Sweet Creek, and at mile 9.0.
DRAINAGE AREA - 2,320 mi² of which 730 mi² probably is noncontributing.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR NE-94-1: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1943 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder with satellite telemetry. Datum of gage is 1,920.04 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Sept. 27, 2014 to Sept. 20, 2020, datum of gage was 1,922.04 ft above NAVD88 at present site. Oct. 1, 1947 to Sept. 26, 2014, datum of gage was 1,921.26 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 1929) at present site. Prior to June 22, 1947, water-stage recorder, and June 25 to Sept. 30, 1947, non-recording gage, at present site at datum 1,923.26 ft above NGVD 1929. Oct. 1, 1947 to July 3, 1958, non-recording gage at present site and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929. July 4, 1958 to Sept. 7, 1960, water-stage recorder at site 600 ft upstream and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929. Sept. 8, 1960 to June 24, 1968, water-stage recorder at site 100 ft upstream and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929. June 25 to Nov. 21, 1968, non-recording gage at present site and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929. Nov. 22, 1968 to May 19, 1981, water-stage recorder at site 40 ft upstream and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929. May 20 to July 16, 1981, water-stage recorder at site 70 ft upstream and at datum 1,921.26 ft above NGVD 1929.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 50,000 ft³/s, June 22, 1947, estimated, gage height, 12.00 ft.
Maximum computed discharge, 27,500 ft³/s, June 24, 1968, gage height, 11.00 ft, at location then in use. Maximum gage height, 12.19 ft, March 15, 2019, discharge, 21,000 ft³/s.
WATER-QUALITY RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Water Quality:
In 2017 and 2018 a continuous water quality monitor was deployed at the site to collect data. The data was collected in cooperation with the Lower Loup NRD and NDEE. The study was looking at E.coli impairments in the South Loup river and aimed at developing surrogate information for E.coli, which can be found online at the site. Data were discontinued once the study was concluded.