Flat River river
Total streamflow across the Flat River was last observed at 20 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 40 acre-ft of water today; about 50% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 40 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at 7,090 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Flat River At Bahama reporting a streamflow rate of 20.1 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Flat River Trib Nr Willardville with a gauge stage of 1.49 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Flat River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 353 ft, the Flat River At Bahama.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Flat River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Flat River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Flat River At Bahama
NC
USGS 02085500
|
20 | 1.28 | -15.9 | 8% | 0 | 33,800 | 353 |
|
Flat River Trib Nr Willardville
NC
USGS 0208650112
|
0 | 1.49 | · | · | · | · | 266 |
|
Flat River At Dam Near Bahama
NC
USGS 02086500
|
2 | 0.58 | 9.2 | 1% | 0 | 20,900 | 255 |
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
Flat River
The Flat River is a 49-mile-long tributary of the Grand River in the state of Michigan. It flows through Ionia and Montcalm Counties and has a rich history dating back to the 1800s when it was used for logging and transportation. Today, the river serves as a source of water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation through the operation of several dams and reservoirs, including the Whites Bridge Dam and the Lowell Hydroelectric Dam. The Flat River is also a popular spot for outdoor recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. In addition, the river plays a significant role in the agricultural industry in the surrounding areas, providing water for crops and livestock.
Recreation along the Flat River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Flat 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 Flat River
Where does the data for the Flat 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.