Chippewa River river
Total streamflow across the Chippewa River was last observed at 12,727 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 25,244 acre-ft of water today; about 43% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 29,843 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-04-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 169,611 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Chippewa River At Durand reporting a streamflow rate of 7,270 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Chippewa River Near Watson with a gauge stage of 38.27 ft. This river is monitored from 7 different streamgauging stations along the Chippewa River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,276 ft, the Chippewa River At Bishops Bridge Near Winter.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Chippewa River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Chippewa River
All 7 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chippewa River At Bishops Bridge Near Winter
WI
USGS 05356000
|
601 | 4.95 | 0.0 | 83% | 120 | 7,050 | 1,276 |
|
Chippewa River Near Bruce
WI
USGS 05356500
|
974 | 2.30 | -1.7 | 49% | 384 | 19,700 | 1,077 |
|
Chippewa River Near Milan
MN
USGS 05304500
|
662 | 2.48 | -0.9 | 53% | 27 | 9,120 | 975 |
|
Chippewa River Near Watson
MN
USGS 05305000
|
398 | 38.27 | -0.5 | 72% | 10 | 4,400 | 941 |
|
Chippewa River At Chippewa Falls
WI
USGS 05365500
|
3,220 | 4.21 | -18.1 | 49% | 951 | 64,600 | 807 |
|
Chippewa River Near Mount Pleasant
MI
USGS 04154000
|
277 | 3.56 | 17.9 | 68% | 68 | 5,890 | 730 |
|
Chippewa River At Durand
WI
USGS 05369500
|
7,270 | 4.26 | -3.6 | 78% | 2,060 | 79,100 | 695 |
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
Chippewa River
The Chippewa River is a 183-mile river that flows through Wisconsin, originating in the glacial lake country of north-central Wisconsin. The river has a rich history, as it was once a vital waterway for the Ojibwe tribe and later served as a transportation route for lumber and agriculture. The river is fed by several tributaries and has several dams and reservoirs, including the Wissota Dam and Reservoir, which was created in the 1910s for hydroelectric power and flood control. The river provides opportunities for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, and the adjacent land is used for agriculture and forestry. Despite efforts to improve water quality, the river still faces challenges from agricultural and urban runoff.
Recreation along the Chippewa River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Chippewa 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 Chippewa River
Where does the data for the Chippewa 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.