ARKANSAS RIVER

River Levels Streamflow Hydrology
October 30, 2024
Freeze Warning
Until 2024-10-30T14:00:00-06:00 National Weather Service
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 22 expected. * WHERE...Fort Collins, Boulder and the western suburbs of Denver, Denver, Castle Rock, Greeley, and Byers. * WHEN...From 10 PM Wednesday to 9 AM MDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions are expected kill unprotected sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Last Updated 2024-10-30
Discharge Volume 20,664 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 10,418.3 cfs
+6275.3 cfs (+151.47%)
Percent of Normal 24.9%
Maximum 1,992,683.0 cfs
2019-05-28
Seasonal Avg 41,846 cfs

Total streamflow across the Arkansas River was last observed at 10,418 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 20,664 acre-ft of water today; about 25% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 41,846 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 6,140 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Arkansas River Near Muskogee with a gauge stage of 17.81 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.

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.

YEAR OVER YEAR DISCHARGE

INTERACTIVE MAP

Streamflow Conditions
Streamgauge Streamflow Gauge Stage 24hr Change (%) % Normal Minimum (cfs) Maximum (cfs) Air Temp Elevation
Arkansas River Near Leadville
USGS 07081200
33 cfs 4.8 ft 30.92
Arkansas River Below Empire Gulch Near Malta
USGS 07083710
90 cfs 2.97 ft 0
Arkansas River At Granite
USGS 07086000
116 cfs 1.30 ft 26.09
Arkansas River Below Granite
USGS 07087050
226 cfs 11.34 ft -13.41
Arkansas River Near Nathrop
USGS 07091200
372 cfs 3.94 ft -3.13
Arkansas River At Salida
USGS 07091500
359 cfs 2.90 ft 8.46
Arkansas River Near Wellsville
USGS 07093700
412 cfs 3.43 ft 11.05
Arkansas River At Parkdale
USGS 07094500
456 cfs 2.69 ft -8.43
Arkansas River At Canon City
USGS 07096000
375 cfs 5.64 ft 2.46
Arkansas River At Portland
USGS 07097000
393 cfs 1.62 ft 2.08
Arkansas River Above Pueblo
USGS 07099400
177 cfs 2.37 ft -24.36
Arkansas River At Moffat Street At Pueblo
USGS 07099970
214 cfs 8.46 ft -22.46
Arkansas River Tributary Above Hwy 227 At Pueblo
USGS 07099973
28 cfs 2.42 ft -7.64
Arkansas River Near Avondale
USGS 07109500
443 cfs 2.97 ft -15.13
Arkansas River Near Nepesta
USGS 07117000
206 cfs 12.67 ft -9.65
Arkansas River At Catlin Dam
USGS 07119700
105 cfs 10.16 ft -13.93
Arkansas River At La Junta
USGS 07123000
130 cfs 7.71 ft 17.12
Arkansas River At Las Animas
USGS 07124000
99 cfs 8.09 ft 18.02
Arkansas River Below John Martin Reservoir
USGS 07130500
203 cfs 1.88 ft 105.05
Arkansas River At Lamar
USGS 07133000
25 cfs 5.54 ft 0
Arkansas River Near Granada
USGS 07134180
4 cfs 4.78 ft 15.25
Arkansas R Nr Coolidge
USGS 07137500
56 cfs 2.55 ft -4.41
Arkansas R At Syracuse
USGS 07138000
38 cfs 3.74 ft -3.81
Arkansas R At Kendall
USGS 07138020
42 cfs 5.4 ft -3.02
Arkansas R At Deerfield
USGS 07138070
0 cfs 5.61 ft None
Arkansas R At Garden City
USGS 07139000
0 cfs 5.14 ft None
Arkansas R Nr Larned
USGS 07141220
0 cfs 3.11 ft None
Arkansas R At Great Bend
USGS 07141300
2 cfs 0.56 ft 8.7
Arkansas R Nr Nickerson
USGS 07142680
26 cfs 8.56 ft 0
Arkansas R Nr Hutchinson
USGS 07143330
32 cfs 1.6 ft 0
Arkansas R Nr Maize
USGS 07143375
6 cfs 4.14 ft -24.11
Arkansas R At Wichita
USGS 07144300
38 cfs 2.36 ft 0
Arkansas R At Derby
USGS 07144550
102 cfs 0.6 ft 4.72
Arkansas R At Arkansas City
USGS 07146500
181 cfs 2.81 ft 0
Arkansas River At Ralston
USGS 07152500
133 cfs 2.91 ft -5.67
Arkansas River At Tulsa
USGS 07164500
69 cfs 3.95 ft -80.89
Arkansas River Near Haskell
USGS 07165570
171 cfs 1.05 ft -7.57
Arkansas River Near Muskogee
USGS 07194500
253 cfs 17.81 ft -57.55
Arkansas River At Ft. Smith
USGS 07249455
6140 cfs 11.3 ft 126237.45
History of the River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas River Valley, where the headwaters derive from the snowpack in the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges. It then flows east into the Midwest via Kansas, and finally into the South through Oklahoma and Arkansas.
At 1,469 miles (2,364 km), it is the sixth-longest river in the United States, the second-longest tributary in the Mississippi–Missouri system, and the 45th longest river in the world. Its origin is in the Rocky Mountains in Lake County, Colorado, near Leadville. In 1859, placer gold discovered in the Leadville area brought thousands seeking to strike it rich, but the easily recovered placer gold was quickly exhausted. The Arkansas River's mouth is at Napoleon, Arkansas, and its drainage basin covers nearly 170,000 square miles (440,000 km2). Its volume is much smaller than the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, with a mean discharge of about 40,000 cubic feet per second (1,100 m3/s).
The Arkansas from its headwaters to the 100th meridian west formed part of the U.S.–Mexico border from the Adams–Onís Treaty (in force 1821) until the Texas Annexation or Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Hourly Forecast
Next 5 Days

Long Term Forecast
Next 16 Days

Streamflow Levels

14

Cubic Feet Per Second

8

Cubic Feet Per Second

30

Cubic Feet Per Second

10

Cubic Feet Per Second

3

Cubic Feet Per Second