Rapidan River river
Total streamflow across the Rapidan River was last observed at 693 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,375 acre-ft of water today; about 88% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 785 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-06-23 when daily discharge volume was observed at 33,970 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Rapidan River Near Culpeper reporting a streamflow rate of 506 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Rapidan River Near Ruckersville with a gauge stage of 2.36 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Rapidan River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 462 ft, the Rapidan River Near Ruckersville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Rapidan River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Rapidan 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rapidan River Near Ruckersville
VA
USGS 01665500
|
187 | 2.36 | -16.9 | 103% | 1 | 12,600 | 462 |
|
Rapidan River Near Culpeper
VA
USGS 01667500
|
506 | 1.58 | -26.1 | 82% | 16 | 31,600 | 258 |
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
Rapidan River
The Rapidan River is a 88.3-mile-long river located in central Virginia, flowing through the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Rappahannock River. The river has a rich history dating back to the Civil War, where it was a strategic location during the Battle of the Wilderness. The Rapidan River is known for its clean water and diverse aquatic life. It is home to several species of fish, including smallmouth bass and brook trout. The river is also used for recreational activities such as canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. There are two main reservoirs on the river: the South River and the Rapidan Dam. The South River Reservoir is primarily used for drinking water, while the Rapidan Dam is used for flood control and hydroelectric power generation. The Rapidan River is also significant for its agricultural use, as many farmers in the area rely on the river for irrigation purposes.
Recreation along the Rapidan River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Rapidan 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 Rapidan River
Where does the data for the Rapidan 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.