Beaverhead River river
Total streamflow across the Beaverhead River was last observed at 544 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,079 acre-ft of water today; about 108% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 504 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-10-21 when daily discharge volume was observed at 2,117 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Beaverhead River At Barretts Mt reporting a streamflow rate of 521 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Beaverhead River Near Twin Bridges Mt with a gauge stage of 3.61 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Beaverhead River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 5,279 ft, the Beaverhead River At Barretts Mt.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Beaverhead River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Beaverhead River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Beaverhead River At Barretts Mt
MT
USGS 06016000
|
521 | 1.71 | -4.2 | 106% | 69 | 1,170 | 5,279 |
|
Beaverhead River At Dillon Mt
MT
USGS 06017000
|
116 | 3.33 | -17.7 | 72% | 30 | 755 | 5,099 |
|
Beaverhead River Near Twin Bridges Mt
MT
USGS 06018500
|
102 | 3.61 | -6.4 | 55% | 20 | 992 | 4,814 |
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
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
Beaverhead River
The Beaverhead River is a tributary of the Jefferson River in southwestern Montana, with a length of approximately 69 miles. It has a rich history, as it was a critical route for Native Americans and early explorers. Today, the river plays a vital role in agriculture, supporting crops like hay, wheat, and barley. It also supplies water to the reservoirs and dams, such as Clark Canyon Dam, which provides hydroelectric power and is a popular recreational spot. Additionally, the river is renowned for its fishing, particularly fly fishing for trout, and is a popular destination for anglers. The river's hydrology is impacted by snowmelt, rainfall, and diversions for irrigation, and it eventually joins the Missouri River.
Recreation along the Beaverhead River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Beaverhead 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.
About the Beaverhead River
Where does the data for the Beaverhead 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.