Musselshell River river
Total streamflow across the Musselshell River was last observed at 733 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,454 acre-ft of water today; about 17% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 4,378 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-06-10 when daily discharge volume was observed at 51,070 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Musselshell River Near Roundup Mt reporting a streamflow rate of 156 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Musselshell River Ab Mud Cr Nr Shawmut Mt with a gauge stage of 3.21 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Musselshell River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,668 ft, the Musselshell River Nr Martinsdale.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Musselshell River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Musselshell River
All 6 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Musselshell River Nr Martinsdale
MT
USGS 06119600
|
90 | 2.00 | -21.4 | 29% | 1 | 4,190 | 4,668 |
|
Musselshell River At Harlowton Mt
MT
USGS 06120500
|
108 | 3.18 | -19.4 | 25% | 9 | 5,430 | 4,175 |
|
Musselshell River Ab Mud Cr Nr Shawmut Mt
MT
USGS 06123030
|
85 | 3.21 | 6.2 | 35% | 3 | 7,460 | 3,781 |
|
Musselshell River Near Roundup Mt
MT
USGS 06126500
|
156 | 2.04 | -22.0 | 46% | 2 | 13,800 | 3,191 |
|
Musselshell River At Musselshell Mt
MT
USGS 06127500
|
109 | 2.36 | -24.8 | 33% | 2 | 11,700 | 2,987 |
|
Musselshell River At Mosby Mt
MT
USGS 06130500
|
112 | 2.93 | -19.4 | 31% | 0 | 22,400 | 2,497 |
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
Musselshell River
The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River that runs through Montana. It has a length of approximately 360 miles, originating in the Crazy Mountains and flowing eastward until it reaches the Missouri River. The river has a rich history, with evidence of Native American settlements dating back thousands of years. Today, the Musselshell River is an important source of irrigation for agricultural purposes, and several reservoirs and dams have been constructed along its course, including the Yellowtail Dam and the Fort Peck Dam. These dams provide hydroelectric power and control flooding along the river. Recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting, and camping, are popular along the Musselshell River, making it an important part of Montana's outdoor recreation economy.
Recreation along the Musselshell River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Musselshell 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 Musselshell River
Where does the data for the Musselshell 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.