Columbia River river
Total streamflow across the Columbia River was last observed at 179,000 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 355,042 acre-ft of water today; about 22% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 801,900 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-05-22 when daily discharge volume was observed at 1,735,000 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Columbia River At International Boundary reporting a streamflow rate of 179,000 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Columbia River, with a gauge stage of 111.33 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Columbia River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,300 ft, the Columbia River At International Boundary.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Columbia River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Columbia 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Columbia River At International Boundary
WA
USGS 12399500
|
179,000 | 111.33 | 0.0 | 102% | 24,800 | 290,000 | 1,300 |
|
Columbia River Below Priest Rapids Dam
WA
USGS 12472800
|
132,000 | 16.30 | -25.3 | 68% | 35,200 | 476,000 | 405 |
|
Columbia River At The Dalles
OR
USGS 14105700
|
169,000 | 76.49 | 42.1 | 75% | 33,500 | 574,000 | 81 |
|
Columbia River @ Beaver Army Terminal Nr Quincy
OR
USGS 14246900
|
72,700 | 5.61 | 21.2 | 67% | 294 | 660,000 | 9 |
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
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, spanning over 1,200 miles from the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. It has played a significant role in the history of the region, serving as a transportation hub for indigenous peoples and European explorers. The river's hydrology is characterized by a high flow volume and seasonal variability, with peak flows occurring in spring and early summer. The Columbia River Basin is home to several large reservoirs and dams, including the Grand Coulee Dam and the Bonneville Dam, which generate hydropower and provide flood control. The river also supports a variety of agricultural uses, including irrigation and hydroelectric power, as well as recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping.
Track the Columbia 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 Columbia River
Where does the data for the Columbia 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.