Kettle River river
Total streamflow across the Kettle River was last observed at 7,420 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 14,717 acre-ft of water today; about 34% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 21,687 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-05-12 when daily discharge volume was observed at 60,900 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kettle River Near Laurier reporting a streamflow rate of 4,520 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kettle River Near Ferry with a gauge stage of 12.31 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Kettle River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,846 ft, the Kettle River Near Ferry.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kettle River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kettle River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kettle River Near Ferry
WA
USGS 12401500
|
2,540 | 12.31 | -6.3 | 31% | 60 | 23,700 | 1,846 |
|
Kettle River Near Laurier
WA
USGS 12404500
|
4,520 | 6.62 | -4.0 | 32% | 148 | 48,500 | 1,443 |
|
Kettle River Below Sandstone
MN
USGS 05336700
|
423 | 4.74 | -5.4 | 29% | 83 | 24,800 | 936 |
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
Kettle River
The Kettle River is a 175-mile-long river that flows through Minnesota's Pine and Carlton Counties, then crosses the border into northeastern Minnesota, where it flows through the St. Louis County, Itasca, and Koochiching Counties. The river was named after the Native American word "Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag" which means "river abundant with boiling kettles." The river has been used for logging, farming, and transportation in the past. Today, it is a popular spot for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, camping, and hiking. There are several reservoirs/dams, including the Sturgeon Lake Dam and the Big Falls Dam, that serve hydroelectric power and flood control purposes. The river is also used for agricultural irrigation.
Recreation along the Kettle River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kettle 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 Kettle River
Where does the data for the Kettle 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.