Calcasieu River river
Total streamflow across the Calcasieu River was last observed at 3,210 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 6,367 acre-ft of water today; about 78% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 4,134 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-18 when daily discharge volume was observed at 198,140 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Calcasieu River Near Kinder reporting a streamflow rate of 1,910 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Calcasieu River Nr Glenmora with a gauge stage of 12.26 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Calcasieu River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 121 ft, the Calcasieu River Nr Glenmora.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Calcasieu River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Calcasieu 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Calcasieu River Nr Glenmora
LA
USGS 08013000
|
1,300 | 12.26 | 48.2 | 577% | 11 | 39,800 | 121 |
|
Calcasieu River Near Oberlin
LA
USGS 08013500
|
906 | 5.56 | 9.8 | 185% | 15 | 35,100 | 49 |
|
Calcasieu River Near Kinder
LA
USGS 08015500
|
1,910 | 6.97 | -2.6 | 130% | 117 | 194,000 | 22 |
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
Calcasieu River
The Calcasieu River is a 200-mile-long river located in Southwest Louisiana. It was originally used by Native American tribes for transportation and fishing. French explorers named the river after the Atakapa word "quelqueshue," meaning "crying eagle." The river is home to several reservoirs and dams, including the Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Sam Rayburn Reservoir. These reservoirs provide hydroelectric power, as well as recreational opportunities for fishing, boating, and camping. The Calcasieu River also plays a vital role in Louisiana's agriculture industry, providing irrigation for crops such as rice, soybeans, and sugarcane. The river's hydrology has been greatly impacted by human activity, including industrialization and levee construction, which has caused erosion and sedimentation. Conservation efforts are underway to protect and restore the river's ecological health.
Track the Calcasieu 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 Calcasieu River
Where does the data for the Calcasieu 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.