Chariton River river
Total streamflow across the Chariton River was last observed at 5,051 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 10,019 acre-ft of water today; about 34% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 14,692 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-05-30 when daily discharge volume was observed at 87,950 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Chariton River Near Prairie Hill reporting a streamflow rate of 1,470 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Chariton River Near Moulton with a gauge stage of 24.26 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Chariton River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 968 ft, the Chariton River Near Chariton.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Chariton River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Chariton 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chariton River Near Chariton
IA
USGS 06903400
|
11 | 4.41 | -15.8 | 13% | 0 | 9,210 | 968 |
|
Chariton River Near Rathbun
IA
USGS 06903900
|
1,020 | 7.71 | 0.0 | 345% | 0 | 2,340 | 855 |
|
Chariton River Near Moulton
IA
USGS 06904010
|
1,180 | 24.26 | -0.8 | 245% | 13 | 14,500 | 847 |
|
Chariton River At Livonia
MO
USGS 06904050
|
45 | 3.43 | · | · | · | · | 785 |
|
Chariton River At Novinger
MO
USGS 06904500
|
1,370 | 3.73 | -4.2 | 157% | 20 | 32,700 | 756 |
|
Chariton River Near Prairie Hill
MO
USGS 06905500
|
1,470 | 4.24 | -14.0 | 128% | 12 | 44,400 | 646 |
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
Chariton River
The Chariton River is a 214-mile long river located in Iowa and Missouri in the United States. Historically, the river was used for transportation of goods and people, and was a major source of water for towns along its banks. The river has been dammed in several places to create reservoirs for flood control and recreation, including the Rathbun Lake, which is the largest lake in Iowa. The Chariton River is also an important source of water for agriculture, with irrigation systems drawing from the river to supply crops. Recreational activities on the river include boating, fishing, camping, and hiking. The hydrology of the river fluctuates seasonally, with high flows occurring in spring and low flows in summer.
Track the Chariton 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 Chariton River
Where does the data for the Chariton 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.