Elwha River river
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Elwha River At Mcdonald Br Near Port Angeles reporting a streamflow rate of 998 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Elwha River Above Lake Mills Nr Port Angeles with a gauge stage of 539.27 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Elwha River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 624 ft, the Elwha River Above Lake Mills Nr Port Angeles.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Elwha River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Elwha River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elwha River Above Lake Mills Nr Port Angeles
WA
USGS 12044900
|
725 | 539.27 | · | · | · | · | 624 |
|
Elwha River At Mcdonald Br Near Port Angeles
WA
USGS 12045500
|
998 | 10.22 | 10.9 | 54% | 80 | 41,600 | 264 |
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
Elwha River
The Elwha River is a 45-mile-long river located in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It flows from the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Historically, the Elwha River was a vital salmon habitat for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe until two hydroelectric dams, the Elwha Dam and the Glines Canyon Dam, were built in the early 1900s. The dams were removed in 2011 and 2014, respectively, as part of the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Since then, the river has been gradually returning to its natural state, restoring salmon habitats and benefiting other wildlife. The river is also a popular spot for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Agriculture is limited in the area due to the rugged terrain and high rainfall.
Recreation along the Elwha River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Paddle runs
- 1.4 Miles Upstream From Confluence With Elwha River To Confluence With Elwha River
- Headwaters At Sutherland Lake And Includes Only The Tributaries Of Indian Creek To Confluence With Indian Creek
- Headwaters And Includes All Tributaries To Confluence With Elwha River
- Headwaters At Sutherland Lake To Confluence With Elwha River
Track the Elwha 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 Elwha River
Where does the data for the Elwha 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.