| Loup River | |
|---|---|
 Loup River atNebraska Highway 39 crossing south ofGenoa; looking downstream (east). | |
 The Loup River in Nebraska, showing the North and South Loup rivers | |
  Location of the mouth of the Loup River in Nebraska | |
| Etymology | French for "wolf", for the Skidi "Wolf People" band of the Pawnee people |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Howard County,Nebraska |
| • coordinates | 41°16′14″N98°24′4″W / 41.27056°N 98.40111°W /41.27056; -98.40111[1] |
| Mouth | Platte River |
• location | Platte County,Nebraska |
• coordinates | 41°23′58″N97°19′17″W / 41.39944°N 97.32139°W /41.39944; -97.32139[1] |
• elevation | 1,424 ft (434 m)[1] |
| Length | 68 mi (109 km) |
| Basin size | 15,000 sq mi (39,000 km2) |
TheLoup River (pronounced /lup/) is a tributary of thePlatte River, approximately 68 miles (109 km) long, in centralNebraska in theUnited States. The river drains a sparsely populated rural agricultural area on the eastern edge of theGreat Plains southeast of theSandhills. The name of the river means "wolf" inFrench, named by earlyFrench trappers after theSkidi band of thePawnee, whose name means "Wolf People," and who lived along its banks. The river and its tributaries, including the North Loup, Middle Loup, and South Loup, are known colloquially as "the Loups", comprising over 1800 mi (2900 km) of streams and draining approximately one-fifth of Nebraska.
The river is formed in easternHoward County, approximately 5 miles (8 km) northeast ofSt. Paul and 20 miles (32 km) north ofGrand Island, by the confluence of the North Loup and Middle Loup rivers. It flows east-northeast, pastFullerton, where it is joined from the north by theCedar River. It continues east-northeast roughly parallel to the Platte, pastGenoa, separated from the Platte by approximately 15 mi (24 km). It joins the Platte from the northwest approximately 4 miles (6 km) southeast ofColumbus.
A diversion dam southwest of Genoa diverts water to theLoup Canal tohydroelectric facilities inMonroe and then inColumbus. The canal then runs into the Platte a short distance below its confluence with the Loup.
| River | Location | Discharge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Loup River | St. Michael | 230 cu ft/s (6.5 m3/s)[2] | |
| Middle Loup River | St. Paul | 1,148 cu ft/s (32.5 m3/s)[3] | |
| North Loup River | nearSt. Paul | 975 cu ft/s (27.6 m3/s)[4] | |
| Loup River | Columbus | 2,584 cu ft/s (73.2 m3/s)[5] | Discharge includes water removed by Loup River Power Canal[6] |
