Blackstone River river
Total streamflow across the Blackstone River was last observed at 767 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,521 acre-ft of water today; about 58% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,332 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-12-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 29,630 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Blackstone River At Northbridge reporting a streamflow rate of 1,000 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Blackstone River, with a gauge stage of 3.28 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Blackstone River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 260 ft, the Blackstone River At Northbridge.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Blackstone River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Blackstone 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Blackstone River At Northbridge
MA
USGS 01110500
|
1,000 | 3.28 | 4.8 | 122% | 500 | 16,900 | 260 |
|
Blackstone River At Woonsocket
RI
USGS 01112500
|
352 | 1.64 | -16.1 | 81% | 43 | 12,900 | 115 |
|
Blackstone R At Roosevelt St At Pawtucket Ri
RI
USGS 01113895
|
415 | 1.07 | 11.2 | 102% | 43 | 13,000 | 35 |
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
Blackstone River
The Blackstone River is a waterway in the northeastern United States, stretching 48 miles from Worcester, Mass. to Providence, R.I. It is rich in history, as it played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution and was once known as the "hardest working river in America." The river flows through several cities and towns, including Worcester, Millbury, Sutton, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, and Woonsocket. Today, the Blackstone River is an important source of drinking water for local communities and supports recreational activities such as fishing and kayaking. The river is also home to several reservoirs and dams, including the Wallum Lake Reservoir, which provides water to the city of Providence, and the Blackstone River Dam, which helps to regulate water flow and prevent flooding. In addition, the Blackstone River Valley is home to many farms and agricultural operations, which rely on the river's water for irrigation.
Recreation along the Blackstone River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Blackstone 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 Blackstone River
Where does the data for the Blackstone 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.