Black River Flow Today
As of November 12, 2026 at 2:30 AM, the Black River is flowing at 3,940 cfs at Watertown Ny, NY — 107% of normal for the date and down 2% in 24 hours. 21 of 23 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days; flows range from 9 to 3,940 cfs. ❤ Favorite
Black River map
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Every gauge, dam and paddle run on the river, one tap each:
- Gauges now — which reaches are high or low
- Dams & paddle runs — storage and what’s in range
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Black River conditions today
Where the river is running versus normal, what’s rising or dropping, and what it means for a trip — built from the live USGS readings below.
At Watertown Ny, the Black River is running 3,940 cfs — 107% of normal, down 2% since yesterday. Along the river, 15 of 20 reporting gauges are below normal (the typical gauge is at 62% of normal).
In the last 24 hours the river is dropping at Boonville Ny (-21%) and Fort Apache (-17%).
Highest against normal: Pumping Plant at 644%. Lowest: Bessemer at 7%.
Paddlers: 0 of 1 runs on the Black River with a live range are in range, 1 too low.
How the Black River compares to normal
Every reporting gauge from the top of the river to the bottom: bar length is today’s flow, colour is percent of normal for the date.
Flow along the river, upstream to downstream
- Pumping Plant5,759 ft 247 cfs644%
- Fort Apache4,315 ft 494 cfs
- Malaga3,086 ft 11 cfs120%
- Bessemer1,186 ft 19 cfs7%
- Neillsville985 ft 188 cfs66%
- Boonville Ny939 ft 620 cfs95%
- Black River Ds St. Hwy 54 @ Black River Falls738 ft 714 cfs92%
- Coventry727 ft 35 cfs31%
- Jeddo664 ft 22 cfs41%
- Galesville659 ft 998 cfs85%
- Garnet655 ft 9 cfs35%
- Elyria Oh634 ft 17 cfs20%
- Annapolis579 ft 189 cfs81%
- North Springfield458 ft 74 cfs38%
- Leeper432 ft 329 cfs65%
- Watertown Ny384 ft 3,940 cfs107%
- Poplar Bluff328 ft 467 cfs65%
- Pocahontas265 ft 1,430 cfs55%
- Black Rock230 ft 2,210 cfs59%
- Kingstree49 ft 11 cfs9%
- Tomahawk45 ft 62 cfs40%
Bar length uses a square-root scale so small headwater flows stay visible next to big downstream ones. Colour: <50% 50–90 90–110 110–150 150%+ of normal.
Where every gauge sits
One dot per Black River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (62%).
Black River flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | % of normal | 24h | Gage height | To flood stage | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Black River Below Pumping Plant AZ
Nov 12, 12:30 AM · USGS 09489500 |
247 cfs | 644% | -15% | 3.77 ft | · | 5,759 ft |
|
Black River Near Fort Apache AZ
Nov 12, 12:30 AM · USGS 09490500 |
494 cfs | · | -17% | 3.71 ft | · | 4,315 ft |
|
Black River Above Malaga NM
Nov 12, 12:30 AM · USGS 08405500 |
11 cfs | 120% | -11% | 1.26 ft | 16.7 ft below | 3,086 ft |
|
Black River Near Bessemer MI
Nov 12, 1:00 AM · USGS 04031000 |
19 cfs | 7% | -5% | 2.06 ft | 7.9 ft below | 1,186 ft |
|
Black River At Neillsville WI
Nov 12, 1:00 AM · USGS 05381000 |
188 cfs | 66% | -11% | 3.38 ft | · | 985 ft |
|
Black River Near Boonville Ny NY
Nov 12, 2:00 AM · USGS 04252500 |
620 cfs | 95% | -21% | 4.80 ft | 5.2 ft below | 939 ft |
|
Black River Ds St. Hwy 54 @ Black River Falls WI
Nov 12, 1:00 AM · USGS 053813595 |
714 cfs | 92% | -6% | 36.48 ft | · | 738 ft |
|
Black River At Coventry VT
Nov 12, 2:30 AM · USGS 04296000 |
35 cfs | 31% | +2% | 1.62 ft | · | 727 ft |
|
Black River Near Jeddo MI
Nov 12, 2:00 AM · USGS 04159492 |
22 cfs | 41% | -4% | 3.04 ft | · | 664 ft |
|
Black River Near Galesville WI
Nov 12, 1:45 AM · USGS 05382000 |
998 cfs | 85% | -5% | 4.16 ft | 7.8 ft below | 659 ft |
|
Black River Near Garnet MI
Nov 12, 2:30 AM · USGS 04046000 |
9 cfs | 35% | -3% | 2.50 ft | · | 655 ft |
|
Black River At Elyria Oh OH
Nov 12, 2:15 AM · USGS 04200500 |
17 cfs | 20% | -14% | 0.75 ft | 8.8 ft below | 634 ft |
|
Black River Near Annapolis MO
Nov 12, 1:15 AM · USGS 07061500 |
189 cfs | 81% | 0% | 3.82 ft | 4.2 ft below | 579 ft |
|
Black River At North Springfield VT
Nov 12, 2:30 AM · USGS 01153000 |
74 cfs | 38% | +2% | 2.03 ft | · | 458 ft |
|
Black River At Leeper MO
Nov 12, 1:30 AM · USGS 07062500 |
329 cfs | 65% | -3% | 2.23 ft | · | 432 ft |
|
Black River At Watertown Ny NY
Nov 12, 2:30 AM · USGS 04260500 |
3,940 cfs | 107% | -2% | 4.57 ft | 5.4 ft below | 384 ft |
|
Black River At Poplar Bluff MO
Nov 12, 1:15 AM · USGS 07063000 |
467 cfs | 65% | -13% | 0.11 ft | 15.9 ft below | 328 ft |
|
Black River Near Corning AR
Last reported Oct 27 · USGS 07064000 |
303 cfs | · | · | 1.16 ft | flood 15.0 ft | 279 ft |
|
Black River At Pocahontas AR
Nov 12, 1:00 AM · USGS 07069000 |
1,430 cfs | 55% | -2% | 0.15 ft | 16.9 ft below | 265 ft |
|
Black River At Black Rock AR
Nov 12, 1:00 AM · USGS 07072500 |
2,210 cfs | 59% | -2% | 0.78 ft | 13.2 ft below | 230 ft |
|
Black River At Elgin Ferry AR
Last reported Oct 8 · USGS 07074420 |
3,200 cfs | · | · | 5.79 ft | · | 211 ft |
|
Black River At Kingstree SC
Nov 12, 2:00 AM · USGS 02136000 |
11 cfs | 9% | 0% | 1.47 ft | 10.5 ft below | 49 ft |
|
Black River Near Tomahawk NC
Nov 12, 2:00 AM · USGS 02106500 |
62 cfs | 40% | -10% | 1.73 ft | 16.3 ft below | 45 ft |
USGS provisional data. Readings are in each gauge’s local time; gauges silent for more than 3 days are marked “Last reported”. Tap any gauge for its hydrograph, forecast and history.
Paddle runs on the Black River
Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).
| Run | Status | Flow now | Runnable range | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin At Confluence Of Outlets Of Frenchman Lake And Carp Lake (Sec 26, T44N, R6W) To West Section Line Of Sec 30, T43N, R5W Gauge: Garnet |
Too low | 9 cfs | 11–47 cfs typical | II–III |
Dams & reservoirs on the Black River
Releases from these dams shape the flow downstream. Tap one for its daily level and history.
Black River streamflow over time
Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river.
Maximum streamflow by year
Black River
The Black River is a river in the northeastern United States that flows through the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It is approximately 125 miles long and has a drainage area of 1,230 square miles. The river is known for its hydroelectric power generation, with several dams and reservoirs built along its length, including the Neversink Reservoir and the Pepacton Reservoir. These reservoirs provide drinking water to New York City and the surrounding areas. The Black River also has recreational uses, with fishing, kayaking, and canoeing opportunities, and the river's valley is home to a variety of wildlife. The river has played an important role in the history of the region, having been used for transportation, logging, and agriculture.
About the Black River
How is the Black River flowing right now?
As of November 12, 2026, the Black River is flowing at 3,940 cfs at Watertown Ny, NY, about 107% of normal for the date. Across its 23 USGS gauges, current flows range from 9 to 3,940 cfs. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.
Is the Black River running high or low?
The typical gauge on the Black River is at 62% of normal for the date. Above 100% means higher than the historical average for this calendar day; below 100% means lower. The profile above shows which reaches are high or low.
What is flood stage on the Black River?
The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Malaga (18.0 ft), Bessemer (10.0 ft), Boonville Ny (10.0 ft), Galesville (12.0 ft), Elyria Oh (9.5 ft), Annapolis (8.0 ft), Watertown Ny (10.0 ft), Poplar Bluff (16.0 ft), Corning (15.0 ft), Pocahontas (17.0 ft), Black Rock (14.0 ft), Kingstree (12.0 ft), Tomahawk (18.0 ft). The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.
Is the Black River runnable for paddling today?
Each run in the paddle table is checked against its runnable range using its gauge's live flow.
Where does the data come from?
Discharge and gage height are from the USGS National Water Information System; flood stages from the National Weather Service. The history chart sums every monitored gauge on the river.
Can I get alerts for a gauge?
Yes — open any gauge from the table, favorite it in the Snoflo app and set a flow threshold.