Sacramento River Flow
As of 2026-08-04, the Sacramento River is flowing at a combined 42,864 cfs across 12 USGS streamgauges — 51% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 83,754 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Sacramento River was last observed at 42,864 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 85,020 acre-ft of water today; about 51% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 83,754 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 550,980 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sacramento R A Rio Vista Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 95,200 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sacramento R A Freeport Ca with a gauge stage of 105.53 ft. This river is monitored from 12 different streamgauging stations along the Sacramento River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,143 ft, the Sacramento R A Delta Ca.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Sacramento River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Sacramento River
All 12 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sacramento R A Delta Ca
CA
USGS 11342000
|
224 | 3.87 | -1.8 | 103% | 121 | 24,500 | 1,143 |
|
Sacramento R A Keswick Ca
CA
USGS 11370500
|
13,400 | 15.13 | 1.5 | 120% | 1,950 | 64,000 | 494 |
|
Sacramento R Ab Bend Bridge Nr Red Bluff Ca
CA
USGS 11377100
|
13,200 | 5.55 | · | 114% | 3,680 | 115,000 | 295 |
|
Sacramento R A Colusa Ca
CA
USGS 11389500
|
8,930 | 44.27 | 3.7 | 123% | 3,080 | 50,900 | 36 |
|
Sacramento R Bl Wilkins Slough Nr Grimes Ca
CA
USGS 11390500
|
7,640 | 31.60 | -0.8 | 128% | 2,410 | 27,900 | 23 |
|
Sacramento R Ab Delta Cross Channel Ca
CA
USGS 11447890
|
13,400 | 6.28 | · | 152% | 18 | 44,400 | 20 |
|
Sacramento R A Verona Ca
CA
USGS 11425500
|
18,000 | 16.78 | · | 127% | 4,190 | 71,700 | 18 |
|
Sacramento R Bl Georgiana Slough Ca
CA
USGS 11447905
|
10,600 | 6.05 | · | 184% | 10 | 32,700 | 15 |
|
Sacramento R A Freeport Ca
CA
USGS 11447650
|
21,600 | 105.53 | -1.8 | 124% | 12 | 86,700 | 7 |
|
Sacramento R Deep Water Ship Channel Nr Rio Vista
CA
USGS 11455335
|
9,620 | 23.32 | -8.0 | 54% | 87 | 25,700 | 7 |
|
Sacramento R Deep Water Ship Channel Nr Freeport
CA
USGS 11455095
|
4,930 | 7.70 | 38.0 | 98% | 7 | 35,600 | 5 |
|
Sacramento R A Rio Vista Ca
CA
USGS 11455420
|
95,200 | 14.46 | · | 163% | 97 | 175,000 | 2 |
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
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is a 445-mile-long river that flows through Northern California, starting from the Klamath Mountains and ending at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It has played a significant role in California's history, serving as a major transportation route during the Gold Rush era. The river's hydrology is heavily influenced by snowmelt and rainfall, with several dams and reservoirs built for flood control and water storage purposes. These include the Shasta Dam, which forms the largest reservoir in California. The river also provides water for agricultural purposes in the Sacramento Valley, known for its rice fields and orchards. Recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping are popular along the river, with several parks and wildlife refuges located along its banks.
Recreation along the Sacramento River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Sacramento 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 Sacramento River
How is the Sacramento River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-04, the Sacramento River is flowing at a combined 42,864 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 51% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Sacramento River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Sacramento 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.