River Report

Hillsborough River river

5 streamgauges 109% of normal Last updated 2026-05-24
Aggregate flow
275cfs
% of normal
109%
Daily volume
546AF
Seasonal avg
253cfs

Total streamflow across the Hillsborough River was last observed at 275 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 546 acre-ft of water today; about 109% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 253 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2017-09-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 16,270 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Hillsborough River Near Zephyrhills Fl reporting a streamflow rate of 96.6 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Hillsborough R Ab Crystal Spr Near Zephyrhills Fl with a gauge stage of 52.42 ft. This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Hillsborough River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 118 ft, the Hillsborough R Ab Crystal Spr Near Zephyrhills Fl.

Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough River

All 5 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)
Hillsborough R Ab Crystal Spr Near Zephyrhills Fl FL
USGS 02301990
26 52.42 183.5 213% 3 1,980 118
Hillsborough R Bl Crystal Spr Near Zephyrhills Fl FL
USGS 02302010
80 49.81 45.0 138% 44 575 109
Hillsborough River Near Zephyrhills Fl FL
USGS 02303000
97 1.16 53.1 140% 38 7,200 78
Hillsborough R At Morris Br Near Thonotosassa Fl FL
USGS 02303330
73 23.77 16.0 115% 38 6,280 47
Hillsborough River Near Tampa Fl FL
USGS 02304500
· 20.57 · 0% 0 6,620 16
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

Hillsborough River

The Hillsborough River is a 54-mile long river in western Florida that flows from the Green Swamp to Hillsborough Bay in Tampa. The river has a rich history, as it was home to Native American tribes and served as a major transportation route during the Spanish colonial era. The river is also known for its diverse hydrology, with shallow marshes, wetlands, and deep pools. The Hillsborough River is impounded by two major reservoirs, the Hillsborough River Reservoir and the Tampa Bypass Canal. These reservoirs provide flood control and water supply to the surrounding areas. The river is a popular recreational destination, with activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking available. The Hillsborough River also supports agriculture, with crops such as strawberries, blueberries, and citrus grown along its banks.

Around the river

Recreation along the Hillsborough River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough River

Where does the data for the Hillsborough 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.