Little Missouri River river
Total streamflow across the Little Missouri River was last observed at 89 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 177 acre-ft of water today; about 3% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 3,001 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-05-26 when daily discharge volume was observed at 85,700 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Little Missouri River Near Langley reporting a streamflow rate of 38.2 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Little Missouri River Nr Watford City with a gauge stage of 7.02 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Little Missouri River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,691 ft, the Little Missouri River At Marmarth.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Little Missouri River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Little Missouri 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Little Missouri River At Marmarth
ND
USGS 06335500
|
18 | 0.80 | 9.3 | 1% | 0 | 45,000 | 2,691 |
|
Little Missouri River At Medora
ND
USGS 06336000
|
2 | 1.38 | -61.5 | 1% | 0 | 65,000 | 2,253 |
|
Little Missouri River Nr Watford City
ND
USGS 06337000
|
38 | 7.02 | 0.0 | 4% | 4 | 110,000 | 1,934 |
|
Little Missouri River Near Langley
AR
USGS 07360200
|
38 | 3.57 | 7.9 | 14% | 3 | 70,800 | 715 |
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
Little Missouri River
The Little Missouri River is a tributary of the Missouri River that stretches 560 miles through Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The river was named by French trappers who explored the region in the 18th century. The river's hydrology is characterized by a wide range of flow rates, from low during dry periods to intense flash flooding during rainy seasons. The Carter Lake Dam in Wyoming and a series of four dams in North Dakota, including the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, manage the river's flow for agricultural and recreational purposes. The river's scenic beauty and diverse wildlife attract tourists for activities like fishing, camping, and hiking. The Little Missouri River is also a source of irrigation for crops such as wheat and soybeans.
Recreation along the Little Missouri River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Little Missouri 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 Little Missouri River
Where does the data for the Little Missouri 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.