Gunnison River river
Total streamflow across the Gunnison River was last observed at 2,190 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 4,344 acre-ft of water today; about 19% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 11,361 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2017-05-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 43,480 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Gunnison River Near Grand Junction reporting a streamflow rate of 921 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Gunnison River, with a gauge stage of 2.79 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Gunnison River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 7,670 ft, the Gunnison River Near Gunnison.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Gunnison River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Gunnison 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gunnison River Near Gunnison
CO
USGS 09114500
|
578 | 1.52 | 14.9 | 49% | 88 | 5,080 | 7,670 |
|
Gunnison River Below Gunnison Tunnel
CO
USGS 09128000
|
389 | 2.13 | 0.8 | 65% | 254 | 11,900 | 6,518 |
|
Gunnison River At Delta
CO
USGS 09144250
|
691 | 1.71 | 11.8 | 30% | 368 | 14,600 | 4,921 |
|
Gunnison River Near Grand Junction
CO
USGS 09152500
|
921 | 2.79 | 0.0 | 37% | 533 | 17,200 | 4,642 |
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
Gunnison River
The Gunnison River is a tributary of the Colorado River that flows through western Colorado. It is approximately 180 miles long and has a drainage basin of over 7,000 square miles. The river was historically used by Native American tribes for fishing and hunting, and later by European explorers and settlers for transportation and irrigation. The hydrology of the river has been altered by several dams and reservoirs, including the largest, the Blue Mesa Reservoir. These dams and reservoirs provide water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The Gunnison River is also a popular recreational destination, with activities such as fishing, rafting, and kayaking. The river's ecosystem is vital to the region's agricultural industry and supports a variety of wildlife.
Recreation along the Gunnison River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Gunnison 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 Gunnison River
Where does the data for the Gunnison 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.