Canadian River river
Total streamflow across the Canadian River was last observed at 2,624 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 5,205 acre-ft of water today; about 12% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 22,402 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-05-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 317,535 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Canadian River Near Whitefield reporting a streamflow rate of 1,660 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Canadian River At Norman with a gauge stage of 85.91 ft. This river is monitored from 10 different streamgauging stations along the Canadian River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 5,648 ft, the Canadian River Near Taylor Springs.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Canadian River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Canadian River
All 10 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Canadian River Near Taylor Springs
NM
USGS 07211500
|
6 | 3.54 | -27.3 | 38% | 0 | 4,590 | 5,648 |
|
Canadian River Near Sanchez
NM
USGS 07221500
|
2 | 0.75 | -26.4 | 3% | 0 | 13,000 | 4,429 |
|
Canadian River At Logan
NM
USGS 07227000
|
2 | 1.16 | -2.4 | 83% | 0 | 878 | 3,665 |
|
Canadian Rv Nr Amarillo
TX
USGS 07227500
|
83 | 1.49 | -13.4 | 266% | 0 | 25,900 | 2,991 |
|
Canadian Rv Nr Canadian
TX
USGS 07228000
|
25 | 1.12 | -6.8 | 40% | 0 | 1,380 | 2,324 |
|
Canadian River At Bridgeport
OK
USGS 07228500
|
71 | 9.02 | 0.0 | 46% | 0 | 26,100 | 1,379 |
|
Canadian River At Norman
OK
USGS 07229050
|
108 | 85.91 | -39.7 | 23% | 0 | 13,700 | 1,103 |
|
Canadian River At Purcell
OK
USGS 07229200
|
230 | 3.77 | 21.1 | 48% | 2 | 23,100 | 1,032 |
|
Canadian River At Calvin
OK
USGS 07231500
|
442 | 6.20 | -2.9 | 28% | 0 | 122,000 | 688 |
|
Canadian River Near Whitefield
OK
USGS 07245000
|
1,660 | 2.91 | 200.7 | 18% | 10 | 167,000 | 491 |
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
Canadian River
The Canadian River is a major river in the southern Great Plains of North America, flowing eastward from Colorado and New Mexico into Texas and Oklahoma. The river is approximately 906 miles long and was named by Spanish explorers after an encounter with indigenous tribes. The Canadian River has been a vital source of water for irrigation and agriculture for centuries. Today, the river provides water for many communities, including the cities of Oklahoma City and Amarillo. Notable reservoirs along the river include Ute Lake, Conchas Lake, and Lake Meredith. The riverside also serves as a popular recreational destination, with opportunities for camping, fishing, and boating. However, the Canadian River has also been subject to drought and water management issues, leading to conflicts over water rights between states and users.
Recreation along the Canadian River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Canadian 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 Canadian River
Where does the data for the Canadian 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.