James River Flow
As of 2026-07-27, the James River is flowing at a combined 13,057 cfs across 25 USGS streamgauges — 44% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 29,903 cfs.
Total streamflow across the James River was last observed at 13,057 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 25,899 acre-ft of water today; about 44% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 29,903 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-17 when daily discharge volume was observed at 438,949 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the James River At Cartersville reporting a streamflow rate of 1,630 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the James River At Nd-Sd State Line with a gauge stage of 88.6 ft. This river is monitored from 25 different streamgauging stations along the James River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,464 ft, the James River Nr Grace City.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the James River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the James River
All 25 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
James River Nr Grace City
ND
USGS 06468170
|
7 | 4.31 | -20.1 | 40% | 0 | 3,140 | 1,464 |
|
James River Above Arrowwood Lake Nr Kensal
ND
USGS 06468250
|
6 | 0.84 | 46.3 | 31% | 0 | 2,730 | 1,442 |
|
James River At Jamestown
ND
USGS 06470000
|
62 | 3.75 | -20.1 | 16% | 0 | 2,460 | 1,382 |
|
James River At Lamoure
ND
USGS 06470500
|
220 | 7.78 | -12.7 | 46% | 4 | 5,510 | 1,303 |
|
James River At Nd-Sd State Line
SD
USGS 06470878
|
160 | 88.60 | -5.9 | 27% | 0 | 9,230 | 1,290 |
|
James R At Columbia Sd
SD
USGS 06471000
|
150 | 6.95 | -5.1 | 17% | 1 | 6,040 | 1,287 |
|
James R Near Stratford Sd
SD
USGS 06472000
|
316 | 8.56 | 9.0 | 33% | 3 | 8,180 | 1,276 |
|
James R At Ashton Sd
SD
USGS 06473000
|
423 | 5.47 | 5.0 | 44% | 3 | 9,500 | 1,271 |
|
James R Near Redfield Sd
SD
USGS 06475000
|
462 | 5.41 | -1.3 | 43% | 2 | 12,400 | 1,264 |
|
James R At Huron Sd
SD
USGS 06476000
|
418 | 9.60 | -9.5 | 35% | 6 | 14,200 | 1,233 |
|
James R Near Forestburg Sd
SD
USGS 06477000
|
558 | 6.27 | -2.3 | 37% | 17 | 15,500 | 1,214 |
|
James R Near Mitchell Sd
SD
USGS 06478000
|
536 | 11.91 | -7.8 | 28% | 337 | 24,900 | 1,206 |
|
James R Near Scotland Sd
SD
USGS 06478500
|
647 | 5.32 | -4.7 | 49% | 37 | 52,600 | 1,187 |
|
James River Nr Yankton Sd
SD
USGS 06478513
|
690 | 4.26 | -1.2 | 49% | 19 | 44,100 | 1,164 |
|
James River Near Springfield
MO
USGS 07050700
|
37 | 4.40 | -16.6 | 144% | 0 | 17,700 | 1,147 |
|
James River Near Boaz
MO
USGS 07052250
|
212 | 2.76 | -8.2 | 143% | 32 | 35,700 | 1,070 |
|
James River At Lick Run
VA
USGS 02016500
|
507 | 1.99 | -4.0 | 88% | 283 | 29,500 | 1,012 |
|
James River At Galena
MO
USGS 07052500
|
324 | 4.37 | -5.0 | 72% | 60 | 72,000 | 927 |
|
James River At Buchanan
VA
USGS 02019500
|
608 | 2.32 | -6.5 | 74% | 383 | 46,200 | 824 |
|
James River At Holcomb Rock
VA
USGS 02025500
|
835 | 4.38 | -9.4 | 67% | 530 | 66,300 | 582 |
|
James River At Bent Creek
VA
USGS 02026000
|
1,110 | 3.03 | -19.6 | 75% | 424 | 76,800 | 374 |
|
James River At Scottsville
VA
USGS 02029000
|
1,470 | 3.30 | -5.2 | 75% | 630 | 77,500 | 278 |
|
James River At Cartersville
VA
USGS 02035000
|
1,630 | 1.19 | 5.2 | 67% | 676 | 101,000 | 161 |
|
James River And Kanawha Canal Near Richmond
VA
USGS 02037000
|
186 | 6.98 | 0.0 | 217% | 0 | 299 | 121 |
|
James River Near Richmond
VA
USGS 02037500
|
1,490 | 3.68 | -10.8 | 61% | 600 | 107,000 | 102 |
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
James River
The James River is a 348-mile-long river that flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. It played an important role in the history of Virginia, serving as a major transportation route for trade and commerce. The river is home to several reservoirs and dams, including the Boshers Dam, the Powhatan Dam, and the Gathright Dam. These dams provide hydroelectric power and help manage the river's flow. The James River is also a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, kayaking, and boating. Additionally, the river is used for agriculture, providing irrigation for crops and livestock. Despite being affected by urbanization and pollutants, efforts are being made to protect and restore the health of the James River ecosystem.
Recreation along the James River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the James 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 James River
How is the James River flowing right now?
As of 2026-07-27, the James River is flowing at a combined 13,057 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 44% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the James River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the James 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.