River Report

Arkansas River river

39 streamgauges 18% of normal Last updated 2026-05-22

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Aggregate flow

35,016cfs

% of normal

18%

Daily volume

69,454AF

Seasonal avg

199,057cfs

Total streamflow across the Arkansas River was last observed at 35,016 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 69,454 acre-ft of water today; about 18% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 199,057 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-05-28 when daily discharge volume was observed at 1,992,683 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Arkansas River At Ft. Smith reporting a streamflow rate of 50,400 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Arkansas River Near Muskogee with a gauge stage of 20.12 ft. This river is monitored from 39 different streamgauging stations along the Arkansas River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 9,720 ft, the Arkansas River Near Leadville.

Max discharge

Arkansas River At Ft. Smith

50,400cfs

Highest stage

Arkansas River Near Muskogee

20.12ft

Highest-elevation gauge

Arkansas River Near Leadville

9,720ft

Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Arkansas River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Premium feature

Decades of basin-wide flow context for the Arkansas River.

See exactly how the Arkansas River is performing — which gauges are stressed right now, and how this season ranks against every year on record.

Longitudinal river profile — gauges from headwaters to mouth, colored by % of normal
Flow percentile bands — this season vs. the historical envelope across every year on record

Unlock historical context 7-day free trial · cancel anytime

Longitudinal profile

Where on the river is flow stressed right now?

Every monitored gauge along the Arkansas River ordered headwaters → mouth (by elevation), with bars colored by current percent of normal. Red reaches are below normal; blue reaches are above. Spot drought-stressed sections at a glance.

Gauges from headwaters to mouth

Bar = current % of normal · ordered top-to-bottom by elevation

Flow percentile bands

How does this season compare to normal?

The shaded ribbon shows the 10th-90th percentile of aggregate river discharge across every year on record — the "normal range." The bold line is the current year. Above the dark band means above-normal flow; below means drier-than-normal.

Aggregate flow percentile envelope

10th · 25th · 50th · 75th · 90th percentile across all historical years

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Arkansas River

All 39 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.

Streamgauge▾	Streamflow (cfs)▾	Gauge stage (ft)▾	24h Δ (%)▾	% Normal▾	Min (cfs)▾	Max (cfs)▾	Elevation (ft)▾
Arkansas River Near Leadville CO USGS 07081200	39	4.79	-11.2	24%	1	1,360	9,720
Arkansas River Below Empire Gulch Near Malta CO USGS 07083710	86	2.93	-6.3	32%	59	2,010	9,287
Arkansas River At Granite CO USGS 07086000	116	1.25	-2.5	23%	37	5,360	8,929
Arkansas River Below Granite CO USGS 07087050	175	11.14	-7.9	24%	66	4,400	8,629
Arkansas River Near Nathrop CO USGS 07091200	258	3.59	-11.3	31%	146	5,560	7,377
Arkansas River At Salida CO USGS 07091500	233	2.76	-7.5	30%	100	9,220	7,062
Arkansas River Near Wellsville CO USGS 07093700	252	3.00	-11.9	28%	148	6,240	6,899
Arkansas River At Parkdale CO USGS 07094500	315	2.41	-12.3	30%	194	6,830	5,719
Arkansas River At Canon City CO USGS 07096000	232	5.35	-8.7	25%	121	19,000	5,352
Arkansas River At Portland CO USGS 07097000	227	1.16	-18.9	23%	114	23,900	5,039
Arkansas River Above Pueblo CO USGS 07099400	255	2.63	22.6	25%	14	10,100	4,734
Arkansas River At Moffat Street At Pueblo CO USGS 07099970	267	8.71	13.6	25%	13	10,400	4,646
Arkansas River Tributary Above Hwy 227 At Pueblo CO USGS 07099973	31	2.50	0.0	91%	1	314	4,637
Arkansas River Near Avondale CO USGS 07109500	527	3.42	-10.1	31%	146	50,000	4,521
Arkansas River Near Nepesta CO USGS 07117000	209	12.88	-29.4	17%	12	180,000	4,392
Arkansas River At Catlin Dam CO USGS 07119700	91	10.35	-51.4	8%	0	43,200	4,255
Arkansas River At La Junta CO USGS 07123000	61	7.30	85.2	9%	1	200,000	4,045
Arkansas River At Las Animas CO USGS 07124000	19	7.05	-51.5	3%	10	44,000	3,893
Arkansas River Below John Martin Reservoir CO USGS 07130500	96	1.55	0.0	26%	0	40,000	3,752
Arkansas River At Lamar CO USGS 07133000	19	5.49	-9.1	73%	2	130,000	3,601
Arkansas River Near Granada CO USGS 07134180	5	4.72	0.0	17%	0	4,610	3,470
Arkansas R Nr Coolidge KS USGS 07137500	39	2.20	-17.2	45%	0	158,000	3,348
Arkansas R At Syracuse KS USGS 07138000	22	3.69	7.9	29%	0	174,000	3,222
Arkansas R At Kendall KS USGS 07138020	8	5.23	0.0	10%	0	1,320	3,135
Arkansas R At Deerfield KS USGS 07138070	·	5.96	·	0%	0	2,740	2,937
Arkansas R At Garden City KS USGS 07139000	·	5.14	·	0%	0	315	2,830
Arkansas R Nr Larned KS USGS 07141220	·	3.30	·	0%	0	5,700	1,962
Arkansas R At Great Bend KS USGS 07141300	3	0.66	10.9	1%	0	27,800	1,842
Arkansas R Nr Nickerson KS USGS 07142680	52	8.92	5.3	11%	13	10,800	1,602
Arkansas R Nr Hutchinson KS USGS 07143330	104	2.07	-1.9	9%	22	24,700	1,470
Arkansas R Nr Maize KS USGS 07143375	144	4.78	-9.4	6%	0	49,300	1,326
Arkansas R At Wichita KS USGS 07144300	236	3.00	-22.1	13%	7	48,400	1,265
Arkansas R At Derby KS USGS 07144550	254	1.05	-28.9	9%	46	58,300	1,230
Arkansas R At Arkansas City KS USGS 07146500	848	4.07	-20.8	17%	78	103,000	1,059
Arkansas River At Ralston OK USGS 07152500	1,620	4.39	-4.7	11%	30	211,000	790
Arkansas River At Tulsa OK USGS 07164500	15,400	4.52	46.7	448%	22	307,000	638
Arkansas River Near Haskell OK USGS 07165570	5,030	4.72	48.4	23%	116	286,000	539
Arkansas River Near Muskogee OK USGS 07194500	45,600	20.12	130.3	78%	26	700,000	492
Arkansas River At Ft. Smith AR USGS 07249455	50,400	12.47	1083.1	59%	4	587,000	454

Annual peaks

Maximum streamflow discharge by year

The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.

Annual peak discharge

From the river's full record · one point per water year

Profile

Streamflow elevation profile

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.

Elevation vs streamflow

One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage

About this river

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River, stretching for 1,469 miles across the central United States. The river has played a significant role in the history of the region, serving as a vital transportation route for Native Americans and early settlers. Today, the Arkansas River is a major source of irrigation for crops and a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing and boating. The river is managed by a series of reservoirs and dams, including the John Martin Dam, the Kaw Dam, and the Keystone Dam. These structures help to regulate water flow and provide hydroelectric power. Despite its importance, the Arkansas River faces ongoing challenges, including pollution and water scarcity, which threaten the river's ecological health and the communities that depend on it.

Around the river

Recreation along the Arkansas River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

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Fishing

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Track the Arkansas River in the Snoflo app

Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.

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FAQ

About the Arkansas River

Where does the data for the Arkansas River come from?

Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.

How is "percent of normal" calculated?

Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).

Why are some gauges showing very different flows?

Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.

What's the elevation profile chart showing?

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.

Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?

Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.