Osage River river
Total streamflow across the Osage River was last observed at 32,000 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 63,471 acre-ft of water today; about 92% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 34,963 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-12-30 when daily discharge volume was observed at 196,100 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Osage River Below St. Thomas reporting a streamflow rate of 18,300 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Osage River Near Bagnell with a gauge stage of 9.87 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Osage River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 558 ft, the Osage River Near Bagnell.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Osage River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Osage 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Osage River Near Bagnell
MO
USGS 06926000
|
13,700 | 9.87 | -23.5 | 69% | 727 | 220,000 | 558 |
|
Osage River Below St. Thomas
MO
USGS 06926510
|
18,300 | 8.61 | -22.5 | 83% | 861 | 116,000 | 537 |
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
Osage River
The Osage River is a significant waterway that flows through Missouri and Kansas, stretching over 500 miles. It has a rich history, serving as an important trade route for Native Americans, French explorers, and early American settlers. Today, the river is heavily managed for flood control, with several dams and reservoirs, including the Truman Dam and Lake of the Ozarks. These reservoirs provide hydroelectric power, recreation opportunities like fishing and boating, and are important for agricultural irrigation. The river's hydrology is heavily influenced by precipitation, with flooding being a common occurrence. Despite this, the Osage River remains an important natural resource for the communities and industries that rely on it.
Track the Osage 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 Osage River
Where does the data for the Osage 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.