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River report

Powell River Flow Today

As of November 12, 2026 at 2:15 AM, the Powell River is flowing at 167 cfs near Arthur, TN — 41% of normal for the date and down 9% in 24 hours. 3 of 3 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days; flows range from 34 to 167 cfs. ❤ Favorite

USGS gauges
3 3 reporting · upstream → down
Powell River At Big Stone Gap: 34% of normalPowell River Near Jonesville: 34% of normalPowell River Near Arthur: 41% of normal
Typical gauge
34% of normal for the date
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
1 0 in range now
1 low
Updated
Nov 12, 2:15 AM
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River briefing · Nov 12, 2026

Powell River conditions today

Where the river is running versus normal, what’s rising or dropping, and what it means for a trip — built from the live USGS readings below.

At Arthur, the Powell River is running 167 cfs — 41% of normal, down 9% since yesterday. Along the river, 3 of 3 reporting gauges are below normal (the typical gauge is at 34% of normal).

Paddlers: 0 of 1 runs on the Powell River with a live range are in range, 1 too low.

Headwaters to mouth

How the Powell River compares to normal

Every reporting gauge from the top of the river to the bottom: bar length is today’s flow, colour is percent of normal for the date.

Flow along the river, upstream to downstream

  1. Big Stone Gap1,474 ft 34 cfs34%
  2. Jonesville1,272 ft 73 cfs34%
  3. Arthur1,083 ft 167 cfs41%

Bar length uses a square-root scale so small headwater flows stay visible next to big downstream ones. Colour: <50% 50–90 90–110 110–150 150%+ of normal.

Where every gauge sits

One dot per Powell River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (34%).

Typical gauge 34%
0%50%100% · normal150%200%+
Much below normal3Below normal0Near normal0Above normal0Much above normal0

Powell River flow report

3 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow % of normal 24h Gage height To flood stage Elevation
Powell River At Big Stone Gap VA
Nov 12, 2:15 AM · USGS 03529500
34 cfs 34% -3% 2.12 ft · 1,474 ft
Powell River Near Jonesville VA
Nov 12, 2:45 AM · USGS 03531500
73 cfs 34% -4% 1.47 ft 16.5 ft below 1,272 ft
Powell River Near Arthur TN
Nov 12, 2:15 AM · USGS 03532000
167 cfs 41% -9% 2.06 ft 14.9 ft below 1,083 ft

USGS provisional data. Readings are in each gauge’s local time; gauges silent for more than 3 days are marked “Last reported”. Tap any gauge for its hydrograph, forecast and history.

Whitewater & paddle

Paddle runs on the Powell River

Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).

RunStatusFlow nowRunnable rangeClass
Headwaters To Alternative Route 58
Gauge: Big Stone Gap
Too low 34 cfs 112–393 cfs typical III–IV
History

Powell River streamflow over time

Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river.

Maximum streamflow by year

Around the river

Fishing near the Powell River

FAQ

About the Powell River

How is the Powell River flowing right now?

As of November 12, 2026, the Powell River is flowing at 167 cfs near Arthur, TN, about 41% of normal for the date. Across its 3 USGS gauges, current flows range from 34 to 167 cfs. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.

Is the Powell River running high or low?

The typical gauge on the Powell River is at 34% of normal for the date. Above 100% means higher than the historical average for this calendar day; below 100% means lower. The profile above shows which reaches are high or low.

What is flood stage on the Powell River?

The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Jonesville (18.0 ft), Arthur (17.0 ft). The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.

Is the Powell River runnable for paddling today?

Each run in the paddle table is checked against its runnable range using its gauge's live flow.

Where does the data come from?

Discharge and gage height are from the USGS National Water Information System; flood stages from the National Weather Service. The history chart sums every monitored gauge on the river.

Can I get alerts for a gauge?

Yes — open any gauge from the table, favorite it in the Snoflo app and set a flow threshold.

More river levels

Rivers in Virginia & Tennessee

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