Milwaukee River river
Total streamflow across the Milwaukee River was last observed at 355 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 704 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 2,370 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-05-14 when daily discharge volume was observed at 24,870 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg reporting a streamflow rate of 355 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Milwaukee R @ Jones Island Mouth-At Milwaukee with a gauge stage of 9 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Milwaukee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 672 ft, the Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Milwaukee River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Milwaukee River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg
WI
USGS 04086600
|
355 | 6.04 | -5.6 | 55% | 41 | 6,010 | 672 |
|
Milwaukee River At Milwaukee
WI
USGS 04087000
|
333 | 0.99 | -11.2 | 42% | 13 | 8,100 | 609 |
|
Milwaukee R @ Jones Island Mouth-At Milwaukee
WI
USGS 04087170
|
94 | 9.00 | -98.5 | 4% | 3 | 22,000 | 579 |
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
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee River is a 115-mile-long tributary of Lake Michigan that flows through Wisconsin. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the river was heavily polluted due to industrialization, but has since been cleaned up and is now popular for recreational activities such as kayaking and fishing. The river's hydrology is managed by several man-made reservoirs and dams, including the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers, which were dammed to create power for industrial use. These reservoirs also help control flooding in the area. The river is used for agricultural irrigation and is important for the region's economy. Today, the Milwaukee River is a symbol of the city's ongoing revitalization and commitment to environmental sustainability.
Recreation along the Milwaukee River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee River
Where does the data for the Milwaukee 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.