Clinton River river
Total streamflow across the Clinton River was last observed at 963 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,910 acre-ft of water today; about 123% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 782 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-01-27 when daily discharge volume was observed at 13,396 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Clinton River At Moravian Drive At Mt. Clemens reporting a streamflow rate of 341 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Clinton River At Sterling Heights with a gauge stage of 8.26 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Clinton River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 846 ft, the Clinton River At Auburn Hills.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Clinton River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Clinton River
All 4 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Clinton River At Auburn Hills
MI
USGS 04161000
|
132 | 1.78 | 0.0 | 80% | 7 | 1,340 | 846 |
|
Clinton River At Sterling Heights
MI
USGS 04161820
|
227 | 8.26 | -6.2 | 71% | 39 | 2,480 | 612 |
|
Clinton River Near Fraser
MI
USGS 04164000
|
263 | 6.43 | 3.5 | 68% | 64 | 10,100 | 586 |
|
Clinton River At Moravian Drive At Mt. Clemens
MI
USGS 04165500
|
341 | 5.91 | -3.1 | 70% | 1 | 9,120 | 574 |
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
Clinton River
The Clinton River is a 79-mile-long river that flows through southeastern Michigan, starting in northern Oakland County and ending in Lake St. Clair. The river was named after DeWitt Clinton, a former governor of New York. The river is part of the larger Lake St. Clair watershed and is fed by numerous tributaries.
There are several reservoirs along the Clinton River, including the Yates Cider Mill Reservoir, the Sylvan Glen Lake, and the Dodge #4 State Park Reservoir. Additionally, there are several dams on the river, including the Auburn Hills Municipal Dam, the Lake Oakland Dam, and the Yates Cider Mill Dam.
The Clinton River is a popular spot for recreational activities, including kayaking, fishing, and nature hikes. The river also serves as a water source for several communities in the area and is used for agricultural irrigation. Throughout its history, the Clinton River has played an important role in the development of the region, from powering mills during the Industrial Revolution to serving as a crucial transportation route.
Recreation along the Clinton River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Clinton 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 Clinton River
Where does the data for the Clinton 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.