Carson River river
Total streamflow across the Carson River was last observed at 1,894 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 3,757 acre-ft of water today; about 83% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 2,271 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-03-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at 20,970 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Carson River Blw Lahontan Reservoir Nr Fallon reporting a streamflow rate of 812 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Carson River At Dayton with a gauge stage of 17.44 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Carson River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,636 ft, the Carson River Near Carson City.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Carson River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Carson River
All 6 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carson River Near Carson City
NV
USGS 10311000
|
405 | 2.96 | -12.0 | 40% | 3 | 30,500 | 4,636 |
|
Carson River At Deer Run Road Near Carson City
NV
USGS 10311400
|
448 | 5.13 | -10.6 | 44% | 0 | 24,000 | 4,582 |
|
Carson River At Dayton
NV
USGS 10311700
|
697 | 17.44 | -8.1 | 127% | 11 | 6,780 | 4,354 |
|
Carson River Near Fort Churchill
NV
USGS 10312000
|
398 | 2.89 | -10.2 | 42% | 0 | 22,300 | 4,217 |
|
Carson River Blw Lahontan Reservoir Nr Fallon
NV
USGS 10312150
|
812 | 5.16 | -10.4 | 91% | 0 | 3,160 | 4,050 |
|
Carson River At Tarzyn Road Nr Fallon
NV
USGS 10312275
|
11 | 2.03 | 3.9 | 9% | 0 | 1,110 | 3,926 |
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
Carson River
The Carson River is a 131-mile-long river that flows through Nevada and California. It has a long history, as it was an important water source for indigenous peoples and played a role in the California Gold Rush. The river is fed by several tributaries and is divided into three main sections: the East Fork, the Middle Fork, and the West Fork. There are several dams and reservoirs along the river, including Lahontan Reservoir, which is used for irrigation and recreation. The river is also used for agricultural purposes, with crops such as alfalfa and wheat being grown in the surrounding areas. Recreation opportunities include fishing, boating, and camping. The Carson River has also been the subject of restoration efforts to improve habitat for fish and wildlife.
Recreation along the Carson River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Carson 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 Carson River
Where does the data for the Carson 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.