River Report

Redwater River river

2 streamgauges 11% of normal Last updated 2026-05-14
Aggregate flow
36cfs
% of normal
11%
Daily volume
71AF
Seasonal avg
334cfs

Total streamflow across the Redwater River was last observed at 36 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 71 acre-ft of water today; about 11% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 334 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-03-23 when daily discharge volume was observed at 5,726 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd reporting a streamflow rate of 62.8 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Redwater River At Circle Mt with a gauge stage of 4.27 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Redwater River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 3,018 ft, the Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd.

Highest stage

Redwater River At Circle Mt

4.27ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd

3,018ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Redwater 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 Redwater 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)
Redwater River Above Belle Fourche Sd SD
USGS 06433000
63 2.80 27.9 29% 21 4,430 3,018
Redwater River At Circle Mt MT
USGS 06177500
14 4.27 -2.2 86% 0 6,960 2,404
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

Redwater River

The Redwater River is a 135-mile-long tributary of the Missouri River in eastern Montana. The river is named for the red clay that lines its banks. Historically, the river was used by Native American tribes for transportation, hunting, and fishing. The river is fed by several smaller streams and has a variable flow due to seasonal precipitation patterns. The Fort Peck Dam and Reservoir on the Missouri River is the largest reservoir in the area and has a significant impact on the flow of the Redwater River. The river is used for irrigation and supports agricultural activities in the area. Recreational use of the river includes fishing for trout, walleye, and catfish, as well as hunting and camping in the surrounding area.

Track the Redwater 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 Redwater River

Where does the data for the Redwater 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.