River Report

Quinnipiac River river

2 streamgauges 52% of normal Last updated 2026-05-30
Aggregate flow
116cfs
% of normal
52%
Daily volume
230AF
Seasonal avg
224cfs

Total streamflow across the Quinnipiac River was last observed at 116 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 230 acre-ft of water today; about 52% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 224 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-08-29 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,943 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Quinnipiac River At Wallingford reporting a streamflow rate of 104 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Quinnipiac River At Southington with a gauge stage of 2.98 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Quinnipiac River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 145 ft, the Quinnipiac River At Southington.

Max discharge

Quinnipiac River At Wallingford

104cfs
Highest stage

Quinnipiac River At Southington

2.98ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Quinnipiac River At Southington

145ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Quinnipiac 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 Quinnipiac 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)
Quinnipiac River At Southington CT
USGS 01195490
12 2.98 -7.6 56% 2 671 145
Quinnipiac River At Wallingford CT
USGS 01196500
104 2.90 -10.3 57% 19 3,320 93
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

Quinnipiac River

The Quinnipiac River is a 45-mile long river located in the eastern part of Connecticut, USA. The river was historically used for transportation and trade by Native American tribes and later by European settlers. The river's hydrology is affected by urbanization, agriculture, and industrialization. There are four major reservoirs/dams on the river, including the Barnes Memorial Reservoir, the Hanover Pond Dam, the Southington Reservoir, and the North Branford Reservoir, which provide drinking water to the surrounding communities. The river is also used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking. While agricultural use has declined, there are still some farms in the river's watershed that use its water for irrigation. The Quinnipiac River has faced environmental challenges, including pollution, which has affected its water quality and wildlife.

Around the river

Recreation along the Quinnipiac River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Quinnipiac 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 Quinnipiac River

Where does the data for the Quinnipiac 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.