River Report

Forest River river

2 streamgauges 27% of normal Last updated 2026-05-22
Aggregate flow
140cfs
% of normal
27%
Daily volume
278AF
Seasonal avg
520cfs

Total streamflow across the Forest River was last observed at 140 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 278 acre-ft of water today; about 27% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 520 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2022-04-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 6,870 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Forest River At Minto reporting a streamflow rate of 81.3 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Forest River Nr Fordville with a gauge stage of 1.89 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Forest River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,042 ft, the Forest River Nr Fordville.

Max discharge

Forest River At Minto

81.3cfs
Highest stage

Forest River Nr Fordville

1.89ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Forest River Nr Fordville

1,042ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Forest River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Forest 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)
Forest River Nr Fordville ND
USGS 05084000
77 1.89 20.3 40% 0 16,400 1,042
Forest River At Minto ND
USGS 05085000
81 1.73 6.1 29% 0 16,600 812
Annual peaks

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

Profile

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

About this river

Forest River

The Forest River is a small river that runs for approximately 20 miles through North Dakota in the United States. The river has a rich history as it was once used as a major transportation route for fur traders and early settlers. Today, the Forest River has several reservoirs and dams, including the Forest River Dam, which was built in 1955 for flood control. The Forest River also provides water for agricultural irrigation and is a popular destination for fishing and boating. The river has several species of fish including northern pike, walleye, and catfish. In addition, the Forest River is surrounded by beautiful wooded areas, making it an ideal location for hiking and camping.

Track the Forest 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.

FAQ

About the Forest River

Where does the data for the Forest 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.