The Loup River (pronounced /lup/) is a tributary of the
Platte River
The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itsel ...
, approximately long, in central
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The river drains a sparsely populated rural agricultural area on the eastern edge of the
Great Plains southeast of the
Sandhills. The name of the river means "wolf" in
French, named by early
French trappers after the
Skidi band of the
Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language:
* Pawnee people
* Pawnee language
Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States:
* Pawnee, Illinois
* Pawnee, Kansas
* Pawnee, Missouri
* Pawnee City, Nebraska ...
, 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.
Course
The river is formed in eastern
Howard County, approximately northeast of
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and north of
Grand Island, by the confluence of the North Loup and Middle Loup rivers. It flows east-northeast, past
Fullerton, where it is joined from the north by the
Cedar River. It continues east-northeast roughly parallel to the Platte, past
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, separated from the Platte by approximately 15 mi (24 km). It joins the Platte from the northwest approximately southeast of
Columbus.
A diversion dam southwest of Genoa diverts water to the
Loup Canal to
hydroelectric facilities in
Monroe and then in
Columbus. The canal then runs into the Platte a short distance below its confluence with the Loup.
Discharges
See also
*
List of Nebraska rivers
*
French colonization of the Americas
France began colonizing the Americas in the 16th century and continued into the following centuries as it established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France established colonies in much of eastern North America, on several Caribbe ...
*
Mormon Trail
References
External links
Trail of the Loup (1906)
{{authority control
Rivers of Nebraska
Rivers of Platte County, Nebraska
Rivers of Nance County, Nebraska
Rivers of Merrick County, Nebraska
Rivers of Howard County, Nebraska
Rivers of Colfax County, Nebraska
Tributaries of the Platte River