River Report

Oswego River river

2 streamgauges 116% of normal Last updated 2026-05-17
Aggregate flow
11,200cfs
% of normal
116%
Daily volume
22,215AF
Seasonal avg
9,632cfs

Total streamflow across the Oswego River was last observed at 11,200 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 22,215 acre-ft of water today; about 116% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 9,632 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-05-01 when daily discharge volume was observed at 27,000 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Oswego River At Lock 7 reporting a streamflow rate of 11,200 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Oswego River At Harrisville Nj with a gauge stage of 10.24 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Oswego River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 254 ft, the Oswego River At Lock 7.

Max discharge

Oswego River At Lock 7

11,200cfs
Highest stage

Oswego River At Harrisville Nj

10.24ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Oswego River At Lock 7

254ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Oswego 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 Oswego 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)
Oswego River At Lock 7 NY
USGS 04249000
11,200 6.63 4.7 110% 297 37,500 254
Oswego River At Harrisville Nj NJ
USGS 01410000
29 10.24 0.0 37% 15 2,260 6
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

Oswego River

The Oswego River is a 23-mile-long river located in upstate New York that flows into Lake Ontario. It has a rich industrial history, once powering mills and factories in the area. The river is fed by several smaller streams and has a drainage area of 5,000 square miles. The river is dammed at several points to create reservoirs, which provide drinking water to local communities and hydroelectric power. The two main reservoirs on the river are the Oswego and Oneida Lakes. The river is also used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking. Agriculture is also an important use of the river, with many farms located along its banks. The river has been the subject of conservation efforts to improve water quality and protect its diverse ecosystem.

Around the river

Recreation along the Oswego River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Oswego 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 Oswego River

Where does the data for the Oswego 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.

Premium feature

Favorites and alerts are part of Snoflo Premium. Save rivers + gauges, set discharge thresholds, and get push notifications when conditions cross.

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Manage alerts in the Snoflo app

River-level alerts are configured per-gauge in the iOS app. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.

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