Owyhee River river
Total streamflow across the Owyhee River was last observed at 392 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 778 acre-ft of water today; about 19% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 2,055 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-04-06 when daily discharge volume was observed at 18,607 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Owyhee River Below Owyhee Dam Or reporting a streamflow rate of 158 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Owyhee R Nr Mountain City with a gauge stage of 4.64 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Owyhee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 6,129 ft, the Owyhee R Nr Gold Creek.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Owyhee River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Owyhee River
All 4 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Owyhee R Nr Gold Creek
NV
USGS 13174500
|
112 | 1.89 | 0.0 | 102% | 0 | 1,810 | 6,129 |
|
Owyhee R Nr Mountain City
NV
USGS 13175100
|
122 | 4.64 | -1.6 | 43% | 0 | 1,850 | 5,569 |
|
Owyhee River Nr Rome Or
OR
USGS 13181000
|
101 | 1.38 | 0.0 | 10% | 54 | 55,700 | 3,351 |
|
Owyhee River Below Owyhee Dam Or
OR
USGS 13183000
|
158 | 1.90 | 0.0 | 31% | 9 | 22,900 | 2,344 |
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
Owyhee River
The Owyhee River is a 346-mile-long (557 km) river that flows through Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada. The river was named after the Hawaiian fur trappers who worked in the area in the early 19th century. The Owyhee River basin is one of the least developed and most remote areas in the western United States. The river is fed by snowmelt and rainfall and is known for its steep canyons and rugged terrain. There are several reservoirs and dams along the river, including the Owyhee Dam, which creates Lake Owyhee, and the Unity Dam, which creates Unity Reservoir. These reservoirs are used for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation. The Owyhee River is also a popular destination for fishing, kayaking, and rafting. The river flows through the Owyhee Canyonlands, which is home to a variety of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and pronghorn antelope.
Recreation along the Owyhee River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Owyhee 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 Owyhee River
Where does the data for the Owyhee 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.