Salinas River river
Total streamflow across the Salinas River was last observed at 779 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,546 acre-ft of water today; about 105% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 739 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-03-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at 66,820 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Salinas R Nr Bradley Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 370 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Salinas R A Paso Robles Ca with a gauge stage of 13.43 ft. This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Salinas River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 681 ft, the Salinas R A Paso Robles Ca.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Salinas River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Salinas River
All 5 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Salinas R A Paso Robles Ca
CA
USGS 11147500
|
1 | 13.43 | 51.5 | 17% | 0 | 19,800 | 681 |
|
Salinas R Nr Bradley Ca
CA
USGS 11150500
|
370 | 3.91 | 0.8 | 94% | 7 | 56,800 | 449 |
|
Salinas R A Soledad Ca
CA
USGS 11151700
|
231 | 10.00 | 5.0 | 106% | 0 | 17,900 | 165 |
|
Salinas R Nr Chualar Ca
CA
USGS 11152300
|
103 | 2.83 | 7.8 | 106% | 0 | 17,000 | 77 |
|
Salinas R Nr Spreckels Ca
CA
USGS 11152500
|
74 | 4.41 | 3.0 | 127% | 0 | 18,900 | 37 |
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
Salinas River
The Salinas River is a major river in California, running 170 miles from the Santa Lucia Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the Salinan people who have lived in the area for thousands of years. The river has a rich history, including being a source of water for the Spanish missions in the area. It is also a vital source of water for agriculture, supplying irrigation for the fertile Salinas Valley. There are several dams and reservoirs on the river, including the San Antonio Reservoir, Nacimiento Reservoir, and Lake Salinas. These provide essential water storage and flood control during heavy rain periods. The river is also an important recreational area, offering opportunities for fishing, swimming, and kayaking.
Recreation along the Salinas River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Salinas 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 Salinas River
Where does the data for the Salinas 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.