Kootenai River Flow
As of 2026-08-27, the Kootenai River is flowing at a combined 38,000 cfs across 5 USGS streamgauges — 109% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 34,710 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Kootenai River was last observed at 38,000 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 75,372 acre-ft of water today; about 109% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 34,710 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-12-18 when daily discharge volume was observed at 128,600 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kootenai River @ Tribal Hatchery Nr Bonners Ferry reporting a streamflow rate of 15,700 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kootenai River Bel Moyie River Nr Bonners Ferry Id with a gauge stage of 73.01 ft. This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Kootenai River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,121 ft, the Kootenai River Bl Libby Dam Nr Libby Mt.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kootenai River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kootenai River
All 5 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kootenai River Bl Libby Dam Nr Libby Mt
MT
USGS 12301933
|
9,140 | 19.88 | 0.0 | 104% | 2,580 | 48,100 | 2,121 |
|
Kootenai River At Leonia Id
ID
USGS 12305000
|
9,600 | 13.00 | 0.0 | 101% | 4,300 | 55,700 | 1,805 |
|
Kootenai River Bel Moyie River Nr Bonners Ferry Id
ID
USGS 12308000
|
9,730 | 73.01 | -0.4 | 103% | 4,390 | 44,800 | 1,773 |
|
Kootenai River @ Tribal Hatchery Nr Bonners Ferry
ID
USGS 12310100
|
15,700 | 52.13 | -0.6 | 77% | 3,870 | 61,100 | 1,745 |
|
Kootenai River At Porthill Id
ID
USGS 12322000
|
9,530 | 44.61 | -1.5 | 100% | 1,080 | 60,700 | 1,744 |
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
Kootenai River
The Kootenai River is a 485-mile long waterway that flows from British Columbia, Canada, into Montana, USA. Historically, the river was used by indigenous tribes for fishing, trading, and transportation. Today, the Kootenai River is an important source of hydroelectric power with several dams and reservoirs along its course, including the Libby Dam, which creates the 90-mile-long Lake Koocanusa. The river and its tributaries are also used for irrigation, supporting agriculture in the region. Recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping are popular along the river, particularly in the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. The Kootenai River is also known for its scenic beauty, with steep canyons, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife.
Recreation along the Kootenai River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kootenai 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 Kootenai River
How is the Kootenai River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-27, the Kootenai River is flowing at a combined 38,000 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 109% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Kootenai 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 Kootenai 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.