Kawishiwi River river
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kawishiwi River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kawishiwi River
All 1 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kawishiwi River Near Ely
MN
USGS 05124480
|
566 | 4.59 | -6.1 | 113% | 0 | 1,890 | 1,427 |
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
Kawishiwi River
The Kawishiwi River is a 60-mile-long river that flows through the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. The river was historically used for transportation by the Ojibwe people and was later used by the fur trade industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. The river is also significant for its hydrology, as it is a part of the Rainy River watershed and contributes to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There are several dams and reservoirs along the river, including the Fall Lake Dam and the Garden Lake Reservoir, which are used for hydroelectric power generation. The Kawishiwi River is a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing, canoeing, and camping. However, agricultural use of the river is limited due to its protected status within the Superior National Forest.
Recreation along the Kawishiwi River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kawishiwi 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 Kawishiwi River
Where does the data for the Kawishiwi 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.