Little Tennessee River river
Total streamflow across the Little Tennessee River was last observed at 504 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,000 acre-ft of water today; about 35% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,435 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-12-25 when daily discharge volume was observed at 19,840 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Little Tennessee River At Needmore reporting a streamflow rate of 364 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Little Tennessee River, with a gauge stage of 2.04 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Little Tennessee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,012 ft, the Little Tennessee River Near Prentiss.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Little Tennessee 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 Tennessee River
All 2 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 Tennessee River Near Prentiss
NC
USGS 03500000
|
140 | 1.55 | 1.5 | 36% | 66 | 12,200 | 2,012 |
|
Little Tennessee River At Needmore
NC
USGS 03503000
|
364 | 2.04 | 0.0 | 34% | 159 | 22,100 | 1,764 |
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 Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River flows through the Appalachian Mountains and is approximately 135 miles long. Historically, it was an important trade route for Native Americans and European settlers. The river is home to several fish species, including the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel. The river is dammed at several points including Fontana Dam, which creates Fontana Lake, and Cheoah Dam, which creates Cheoah Lake. These reservoirs are used for hydroelectric power generation and flood control. The Little Tennessee River is also a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The surrounding land is used for agriculture, including cattle farming and tobacco production.
Recreation along the Little Tennessee River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Fishing
Paddle runs
- Earl's Ford To Route 76 (Section 3)
- Ga/Nc State Line To 2 Miles Downriver
- Highway 28 To Earl's Ford (Section 2)
- Crpssing Of Land Bridge Road, Sc 196 To 1/4 Mile Below Fs 745 And Cassidy Bridge Hunt Camp
- Confluence Of Brasstown Creek And Little Brasstown Creek Just South Of Brasstown Falls Road (Fs 751) To Confluence Of Mill Branch, Brasstown Creek And Boatwright Creek Near Boatwright Road (Fs 753)
- Headwaters In Standing Indian Basin To Slackwater Of Natahala Lake
Track the Little Tennessee 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 Tennessee River
Where does the data for the Little Tennessee 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.