Carmel River river
Total streamflow across the Carmel River was last observed at 71 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 141 acre-ft of water today; about 74% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 95 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-03-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 6,270 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Carmel R Nr Carmel Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 36.4 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Carmel River, with a gauge stage of 2.67 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Carmel River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 272 ft, the Carmel R A Robles Del Rio Ca.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Carmel River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Carmel River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carmel R A Robles Del Rio Ca
CA
USGS 11143200
|
35 | 2.34 | 53.6 | 171% | 0 | 3,790 | 272 |
|
Carmel R Nr Carmel Ca
CA
USGS 11143250
|
36 | 2.67 | 24.0 | 134% | 0 | 4,310 | 54 |
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
Carmel River
The Carmel River is a 36-mile long river that flows through the Central Coast region of California, from the Santa Lucia Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The river has a rich history dating back thousands of years, as it was used by the Esselen and Rumsen tribes for fishing and gathering. The river's hydrology has been significantly altered by the construction of several dams and reservoirs, including the San Clemente and Los Padres Dams. These reservoirs provide water for agricultural and municipal use, and also serve as recreational areas for fishing, boating, and hiking. The Carmel River is a vital resource for the surrounding communities, and efforts have been made to protect and restore its natural flow and ecosystem.
Recreation along the Carmel River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Carmel 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 Carmel River
Where does the data for the Carmel 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.