River Report

Menomonee River river

2 streamgauges 14% of normal Last updated 2026-05-26
Aggregate flow
40cfs
% of normal
14%
Daily volume
79AF
Seasonal avg
275cfs

Total streamflow across the Menomonee River was last observed at 40 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 79 acre-ft of water today; about 14% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 275 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-08-10 when daily discharge volume was observed at 9,194 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Menomonee River At Wauwatosa reporting a streamflow rate of 32 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls with a gauge stage of 3.13 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Menomonee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 772 ft, the Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls.

Max discharge

Menomonee River At Wauwatosa

32cfs
Highest stage

Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls

3.13ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls

772ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Menomonee River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Menomonee 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)
Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls WI
USGS 04087030
8 3.13 -5.2 20% 1 1,150 772
Menomonee River At Wauwatosa WI
USGS 04087120
32 1.74 -18.0 29% 3 8,680 629
Annual peaks

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

Profile

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

About this river

Menomonee River

The Menomonee River is a 33.5-mile-long river located in southeastern Wisconsin. The river has a rich history, being used as a transportation route by Native Americans and later by European settlers for logging and milling. Today, it is primarily used for recreational purposes, including fishing, kayaking, and hiking along its banks. The river's hydrology includes a number of reservoirs and dams, such as the Menomonee Falls Dam and the Valley Power Plant Dam, which provide hydroelectric power as well as flood control. The river is also used for agriculture, with farms and fields lining its banks. Despite past pollution, the river has undergone extensive cleanup efforts in recent years, and is now considered safe for recreational use.

Around the river

Recreation along the Menomonee River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Menomonee 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.

FAQ

About the Menomonee River

Where does the data for the Menomonee 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.