River Report

Humboldt River river

8 streamgauges 10% of normal Last updated 2026-05-19
Aggregate flow
432cfs
% of normal
10%
Daily volume
858AF
Seasonal avg
4,411cfs

Total streamflow across the Humboldt River was last observed at 432 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 858 acre-ft of water today; about 10% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 4,411 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-06-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 22,830 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Humboldt R Nr Rye Patch reporting a streamflow rate of 129 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Humboldt River, with a gauge stage of 4.89 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 8 different streamgauging stations along the Humboldt River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 5,144 ft, the Humboldt R Nr Elko.

Max discharge

Humboldt R Nr Rye Patch

129cfs
Highest stage

Humboldt R Nr Rye Patch

4.89ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Humboldt R Nr Elko

5,144ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

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

All 8 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)
Humboldt R Nr Elko NV
USGS 10318500
25 1.25 -7.0 5% 1 7,200 5,144
Humboldt R Nr Carlin NV
USGS 10321000
94 1.34 -7.5 12% 2 15,000 4,945
Humboldt R At Palisade NV
USGS 10322500
108 1.62 -8.5 12% 4 17,000 4,839
Humboldt River At Old Us 40 Bridge NV
USGS 10323425
111 3.01 0.0 14% 0 7,620 4,627
Humboldt R At Battle Mountain NV
USGS 10325000
105 4.24 1.0 14% 0 8,880 4,502
Humboldt R At Comus NV
USGS 10327500
75 2.65 -7.0 12% 0 9,900 4,367
Humboldt R Nr Imlay NV
USGS 10333000
7 1.02 0.0 2% 0 9,270 4,142
Humboldt R Nr Rye Patch NV
USGS 10335000
129 4.89 21.7 37% 0 7,960 4,087
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

Humboldt River

The Humboldt River is a 290-mile long river in northern Nevada that was named after the famous explorer, Alexander von Humboldt. The river has played a significant role in the history of the region, serving as a critical transportation route for settlers and gold miners during the 1800s. The river flows through the Great Basin and is fed by several smaller streams and tributaries. The Humboldt River is widely regarded as one of the driest rivers in the United States, with much of its water being used for irrigation and agriculture. The river is also home to several reservoirs and dams, such as the Rye Patch Dam and the Humboldt storage reservoir, which serve as vital sources of water for the surrounding communities. Recreational activities like fishing, rafting, and kayaking are also popular along the river.

Track the Humboldt 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 Humboldt River

Where does the data for the Humboldt 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.