Buffalo River Flow
As of 2026-08-03, the Buffalo River is flowing at a combined 1,458 cfs across 8 USGS streamgauges — 118% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 1,237 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Buffalo River was last observed at 1,458 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,893 acre-ft of water today; about 118% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,237 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-04-06 when daily discharge volume was observed at 143,570 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Buffalo River Below Lobelville reporting a streamflow rate of 714 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Buffalo River, with a gauge stage of 4.25 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 8 different streamgauging stations along the Buffalo River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,131 ft, the Buffalo River Near Boxley.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Buffalo River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Buffalo River
All 8 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Buffalo River Near Boxley
AR
USGS 07055646
|
6 | 1.28 | -11.7 | 132% | 0 | 8,450 | 1,131 |
|
Buffalo River Near Hawley
MN
USGS 05061000
|
12 | 3.24 | -14.7 | 22% | 12 | 1,520 | 1,121 |
|
Buffalo River Near Dilworth
MN
USGS 05062000
|
30 | 2.74 | -2.9 | 33% | 21 | 6,200 | 892 |
|
Buffalo River Near St. Joe
AR
USGS 07056000
|
70 | 2.93 | -2.6 | 78% | 1 | 59,500 | 565 |
|
Buffalo River Near Flat Woods
TN
USGS 03604000
|
451 | 2.93 | -10.3 | 169% | 110 | 28,600 | 527 |
|
Buffalo River Near Harriet
AR
USGS 07056700
|
113 | 3.37 | 0.0 | 70% | 23 | 120,000 | 477 |
|
Buffalo River Below Lobelville
TN
USGS 03604400
|
714 | 4.25 | -10.1 | 149% | 248 | 31,500 | 435 |
|
Buffalo River Nr Woodville
MS
USGS 07295000
|
63 | 4.04 | 0.0 | 86% | 11 | 52,900 | 103 |
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
Buffalo River
The Buffalo River is a 153-mile-long waterway located in northern Arkansas. It was designated as America's first national river in 1972. The river was once used as a major transportation route for timber and agricultural products in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The hydrology of the river is fed by many springs and tributaries, and it eventually flows into the White River. There are two reservoirs located along the Buffalo River: the Buffalo National River Reservoir and the Bull Shoals Lake Reservoir. The Buffalo National River Reservoir was created by the construction of the Buffalo Point Dam and serves as a popular recreational area for activities such as kayaking, fishing, and camping. The Bull Shoals Lake Reservoir is a much larger reservoir and is primarily used for flood control and electricity generation. The Buffalo River also supports a variety of agriculture, including cattle farming and timber harvesting.
Recreation along the Buffalo River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Buffalo 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 Buffalo River
How is the Buffalo River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-03, the Buffalo River is flowing at a combined 1,458 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 118% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Buffalo River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Buffalo 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.