Knife River river
Total streamflow across the Knife River was last observed at 157 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 312 acre-ft of water today; about 15% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,068 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-04-14 when daily discharge volume was observed at 14,740 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Knife River Near Two Harbors reporting a streamflow rate of 80.3 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Knife River, with a gauge stage of 26.45 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Knife River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,168 ft, the Knife River At Manning.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Knife River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Knife River
All 4 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Knife River At Manning
ND
USGS 06339100
|
3 | 6.23 | 36.3 | 4% | 0 | 3,800 | 2,168 |
|
Knife River Nr Golden Valley
ND
USGS 06339500
|
18 | 4.40 | 8.9 | 7% | 0 | 15,000 | 1,854 |
|
Knife River At Hazen
ND
USGS 06340500
|
61 | 1.27 | 14.5 | 14% | 7 | 35,300 | 1,724 |
|
Knife River Near Two Harbors
MN
USGS 04015330
|
80 | 26.45 | -6.2 | 47% | 2 | 25,500 | 620 |
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
Knife River
The Knife River is a tributary of the Upper Missouri River in North Dakota, spanning 120 miles in length. The river holds significant historical and cultural importance for the Northern Plains Native Americans, as it was a vital resource for transportation, food, and shelter. Today, the river primarily serves as a source of irrigation for agriculture and as a recreational spot for fishing and water sports. The river runs through several reservoirs, including Lake Sakakawea, which was created by the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. The dam is the largest hydroelectric power producer in the state and provides flood control, irrigation, and recreation. The river also flows through the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, which preserves the site of a Hidatsa village dating back to the 18th century.
Recreation along the Knife River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Knife 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 Knife River
Where does the data for the Knife 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.