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| Elkhorn River[1] | |
|---|---|
 The Elkhorn River inAntelope County, April 2010 | |
  Location of the mouth of the Elkhorn River in Nebraska | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Confluence of North Fork and South Fork |
| • coordinates | 42°36′36″N099°11′00″W / 42.61000°N 99.18333°W /42.61000; -99.18333 |
| • elevation | 2,162 ft (659 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Confluence withPlatte |
• coordinates | 41°07′12″N096°18′42″W / 41.12000°N 96.31167°W /41.12000; -96.31167 |
• elevation | 1,070 ft (330 m)[1] |
| Length | 290 mi (470 km)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | nearWaterloo |
| • average | 1,529 cu ft/s (43.3 m3/s)[2] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Platte—Missouri—Mississippi |
TheElkhorn River is a river in northeasternNebraska, United States,[1] that originates in the easternSandhills and is one of the largesttributaries of thePlatte River, flowing 290 miles (470 km)[3] and joining the Platte just southwest ofOmaha, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south and 3 miles (4.8 km) west ofGretna.
Located in northeast and north-central Nebraska, the Elkhorn River basin encompasses approximately 7,000 square miles (18,000 km2). The Elkhorn has several tributaries, including its own North and South forks,Logan Creek Dredge,Rock Creek and Maple Creek.
TheLewis and Clark Expedition encountered the Elkhorn River near itsconfluence with the Platte, and referred to it as the "Corne de Cerf". Located a few miles north of the confluence is the Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area. This public park, operated by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, marks the location where thousands of immigrants in the nineteenth century, bound for the west, camped while waiting to cross the river.[4]
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For yearsLogan Fontenelle andJoseph LaFlesche, youngmixed-race men who worked with theOmaha people, owned the ferry that carried people, wagons and animals between the two river banks. LaFlesche had been adopted by Omaha chiefBig Elk and named as his successor. Fontenelle, of Omaha-French descent, served the tribe as an interpreter in relations with the US Indian agent and negotiations with the government over cession of lands.[citation needed]
Media related toElkhorn River at Wikimedia Commons
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