Snake River (Nebraska)

{{Short description|River in north-central Nebraska, United States of America}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

File:Snake River Falls 2.JPG

The Snake River is a {{convert|126|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed March 30, 2011 tributary of the Niobrara River. Entirely located within the Sandhills of north-central Nebraska, the Snake River rises near the eastern edge of Sheridan County. It flows eastward into Cherry County and passes along the southern edge of Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest. On the southeast edge of the national forest, the river is dammed to form Merritt Reservoir. At this point, the river makes a sharp turn to the north.

At Burge, the river has a mean annual discharge of {{convert|158|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=off}}.{{cite web | url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ne/nwis/annual/?format=sites_selection_links&search_site_no=06459500&agency_cd=USGS&referred_module=sw | title=USGS Surface Water data for Nebraska: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics }}

Snake River Falls is immediately to the north of Merritt Reservoir; it is the largest waterfall, as measured by volume, in the state. (Nebraska's highest waterfall is Smith Falls.) The Snake River joins the Niobrara River about {{convert|15|mi}} southwest of Valentine, Nebraska.