Saluda River river
Total streamflow across the Saluda River was last observed at 2,736 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 5,427 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 5,385 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-10-05 when daily discharge volume was observed at 89,540 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Saluda River Near Columbia reporting a streamflow rate of 840 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Saluda River Near Williamston with a gauge stage of 3.72 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Saluda River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 830 ft, the Saluda River Near Greenville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Saluda River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Saluda River
All 6 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saluda River Near Greenville
SC
USGS 02162500
|
270 | 2.84 | 90.9 | 43% | 26 | 11,000 | 830 |
|
Saluda River Near Williamston
SC
USGS 02163001
|
298 | 3.72 | 8.0 | 24% | 78 | 12,400 | 677 |
|
Saluda River Near Ware Shoals
SC
USGS 02163500
|
231 | 2.16 | 15.7 | 28% | 50 | 20,900 | 443 |
|
Saluda River At Chappells
SC
USGS 02167000
|
569 | 2.30 | -18.2 | 22% | 26 | 63,700 | 375 |
|
Saluda River Near Columbia
SC
USGS 02169000
|
840 | 2.41 | 0.0 | 53% | 267 | 67,000 | 180 |
|
Saluda River Below Lk Murray Dam Nr Columbia
SC
USGS 02168504
|
759 | 3.65 | 0.0 | 53% | 229 | 22,400 | 177 |
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
Saluda River
The Saluda River is a major waterway in South Carolina, starting in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flowing 200 miles to the Atlantic Ocean. The river has played an important role in the history of the state, serving as a transportation route for settlers and later powering textile mills. The hydrology of the river has been dramatically altered by the construction of several reservoirs and dams, including Lake Murray, which is the largest man-made lake in the state. These reservoirs serve as important sources of drinking water and hydroelectric power. The Saluda River is also a popular destination for outdoor recreation, with opportunities for fishing, boating, and hiking along its banks. Additionally, the river supports local agriculture by providing irrigation water to nearby farms.
Recreation along the Saluda River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Saluda 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 Saluda River
Where does the data for the Saluda 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.