Russian River river
Total streamflow across the Russian River was last observed at 986 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,956 acre-ft of water today; about 49% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 2,025 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-05 when daily discharge volume was observed at 142,150 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Russian R Nr Windsor Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 263 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Russian R A Geyserville Ca with a gauge stage of 24.37 ft. This river is monitored from 10 different streamgauging stations along the Russian River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 622 ft, the Russian R Nr Ukiah Ca.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Russian River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Russian River
All 10 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Russian R Nr Ukiah Ca
CA
USGS 11461000
|
0 | 3.95 | 50.0 | 8% | 0 | 22,600 | 622 |
|
Russian R Nr Talmage Ca
CA
USGS 11462080
|
82 | 6.49 | -1.4 | 99% | 30 | 12,400 | 570 |
|
Russian R Nr Hopland Ca
CA
USGS 11462500
|
88 | 0.51 | · | 63% | 26 | 16,600 | 531 |
|
Russian R Nr Cloverdale Ca
CA
USGS 11463000
|
110 | 2.55 | 3.5 | 67% | 24 | 32,800 | 380 |
|
Russian R A Geyserville Ca
CA
USGS 11463500
|
133 | 24.37 | -8.3 | 92% | 22 | 39,700 | 195 |
|
Russian R A Jimtown Ca
CA
USGS 11463682
|
156 | 4.49 | 3.2 | 103% | 28 | 29,600 | 160 |
|
Russian R A Digger Bend Nr Healdsburg Ca
CA
USGS 11463980
|
195 | 6.29 | -2.5 | 98% | 22 | 441 | 105 |
|
Russian R Nr Healdsburg Ca
CA
USGS 11464000
|
184 | 0.08 | -1.0 | 80% | 19 | 65,300 | 97 |
|
Russian R Nr Windsor Ca
CA
USGS 11465390
|
263 | 6.19 | -15.0 | 85% | 76 | 4,280 | 76 |
|
Russian R Nr Guerneville Ca
CA
USGS 11467000
|
222 | 1.97 | 20.3 | 81% | 27 | 69,600 | 51 |
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
Russian River
The Russian River is a scenic waterway located in Northern California that stretches for approximately 110 miles from Mendocino County to Sonoma County. The river has a rich history and was once an important transportation route for lumber and agricultural products. Today, the river is used for a variety of recreational activities, including swimming, kayaking, and fishing. The Russian River is also an important source of water for agriculture and urban areas, with several dams and reservoirs located along its course. One notable dam is the Coyote Valley Dam, which creates Lake Mendocino and provides water for irrigation, as well as flood control. The river is home to several species of fish, including steelhead trout and chinook salmon, and is a popular spot for birdwatching. Despite its many uses, the Russian River faces challenges from drought, pollution, and the impacts of climate change.
Recreation along the Russian River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Russian 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 Russian River
Where does the data for the Russian 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.