Minnesota River river
Total streamflow across the Minnesota River was last observed at 25,684 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 50,944 acre-ft of water today; about 49% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 52,808 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-06-24 when daily discharge volume was observed at 261,350 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Minnesota River Near Jordan reporting a streamflow rate of 9,610 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Minnesota River At New Ulm with a gauge stage of 788.71 ft. This river is monitored from 8 different streamgauging stations along the Minnesota River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 972 ft, the Minnesota River At Ortonville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Minnesota River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Minnesota River
All 8 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Minnesota River At Ortonville
MN
USGS 05292000
|
84 | 2.03 | -1.9 | 35% | 4 | 4,850 | 972 |
|
Minnesota River At Montevideo
MN
USGS 05311000
|
1,320 | 6.07 | -0.8 | 43% | 22 | 31,300 | 928 |
|
Minnesota River Near Lac Qui Parle
MN
USGS 05301000
|
930 | 23.97 | 0.0 | 37% | 18 | 25,300 | 923 |
|
Minnesota River At Morton
MN
USGS 05316580
|
2,390 | 12.45 | 0.8 | 48% | 84 | 40,400 | 824 |
|
Minnesota River At New Ulm
MN
USGS 05316770
|
2,650 | 788.71 | 0.0 | 38% | 157 | 31,700 | 794 |
|
Minnesota River At Mankato
MN
USGS 05325000
|
8,700 | 8.59 | -4.2 | 68% | 202 | 68,600 | 759 |
|
Minnesota River Near Jordan
MN
USGS 05330000
|
9,610 | 12.87 | -7.6 | 53% | 383 | 75,900 | 715 |
|
Minnesota River At Fort Snelling State Park
MN
USGS 05330920
|
6,620 | 688.05 | · | · | · | · | 692 |
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
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is 335 miles long and flows from its source near Big Stone Lake in western Minnesota to its confluence with the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The river played a significant role in the state's history and was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes, fur traders, and early settlers. The river's hydrology has been greatly impacted by the construction of dams and reservoirs, including the Lac qui Parle Dam, Upper and Lower Sioux Agency State Parks, and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The river is also used for irrigation and provides water for agricultural practices in the surrounding region. Recreational activities along the river include fishing, boating, and hiking in the numerous state parks and wildlife refuges.
Track the Minnesota 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 Minnesota River
Where does the data for the Minnesota 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.