Pawcatuck River river
Total streamflow across the Pawcatuck River was last observed at 463 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 918 acre-ft of water today; about 60% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 768 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-01-14 when daily discharge volume was observed at 5,240 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Pawcatuck River At Westerly reporting a streamflow rate of 337 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Pawcatuck River, with a gauge stage of 4.12 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Pawcatuck River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 45 ft, the Pawcatuck River At Wood River Junction.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Pawcatuck River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Pawcatuck 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pawcatuck River At Wood River Junction
RI
USGS 01117500
|
126 | 2.46 | -14.6 | 72% | 6 | 1,290 | 45 |
|
Pawcatuck River At Westerly
RI
USGS 01118500
|
337 | 4.12 | -15.6 | 71% | 20 | 4,140 | 2 |
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
Pawcatuck River
The Pawcatuck River is located in Rhode Island and Connecticut and is approximately 34 miles long. The river has a long history dating back to the early colonial period and has played an important role in transportation and agriculture in the region. The river is fed by several small streams and tributaries and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The hydrology of the river is influenced by several reservoirs and dams, including the Bradford Dam and the White Rock Dam. These structures have been built to manage flooding and to provide water for irrigation and municipal purposes. The river is also popular for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Agriculture is another important use of the river, as it provides irrigation for farmers in the surrounding area.
Recreation along the Pawcatuck River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Pawcatuck 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 Pawcatuck River
Where does the data for the Pawcatuck 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.