Pawnee River river
Total streamflow across the Pawnee River was last observed at 586 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,162 acre-ft of water today; about 100% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 586 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-09-25 when daily discharge volume was observed at 802 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Pawnee R Nr Burdett reporting a streamflow rate of 0 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Pawnee R At Rozel with a gauge stage of 6.28 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Pawnee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,129 ft, the Pawnee R Nr Burdett.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Pawnee River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Pawnee 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pawnee R Nr Burdett
KS
USGS 07140850
|
· | 2.29 | · | 0% | 0 | 3,770 | 2,129 |
|
Pawnee R At Rozel
KS
USGS 07141200
|
· | 6.28 | · | 0% | 0 | 4,590 | 2,082 |
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
Pawnee River
The Pawnee River is a tributary of the Arkansas River, flowing through Kansas. It stretches for approximately 180 miles, with its source in Hodgeman County and mouth at Larned. The river was historically significant to the Pawnee Native American tribe, who lived along its banks. The river is fed by various creeks and springs, but its flow is largely dependent on precipitation. Several reservoirs and dams have been constructed on the river to control its flow and provide irrigation water for agriculture. These include the Rattlesnake Creek Reservoir and HorseThief Reservoir. The river also supports recreational activities, such as fishing and boating, and provides habitat for various wildlife species.
Recreation along the Pawnee River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Pawnee 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 Pawnee River
Where does the data for the Pawnee 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.