Santa Clara River river
Total streamflow across the Santa Clara River was last observed at 21 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 41 acre-ft of water today; about 34% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 61 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-03-16 when daily discharge volume was observed at 6,163 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Santa Clara River Abv Baker Res Nr Central reporting a streamflow rate of 11.6 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Santa Clara River, with a gauge stage of 11.07 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Santa Clara River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 6,630 ft, the Santa Clara River Near Pine Valley.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Santa Clara River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Santa Clara River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santa Clara River Near Pine Valley
UT
USGS 09408400
|
9 | 2.61 | 0.0 | 100% | 0 | 199 | 6,630 |
|
Santa Clara River Abv Baker Res Nr Central
UT
USGS 09409100
|
12 | 11.07 | -2.6 | 98% | 0 | 1,340 | 4,924 |
|
Santa Clara River At St. George
UT
USGS 09413000
|
3 | 6.66 | 0.0 | 57% | 1 | 5,920 | 2,552 |
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
Santa Clara River
The Santa Clara River is a 83-mile-long river located in Southern California, USA. Historically, the river was home to the Tataviam and Chumash Native American tribes. Today, it serves as a crucial source of water for agricultural purposes, providing irrigation to over 2,000 acres of farmland in the area. The river is also home to several reservoirs and dams, including the Castaic Dam, which was built in 1972 and holds over 325,000-acre-feet of water. The hydrology of the Santa Clara River has been impacted by ongoing drought in the region, leading to decreased water flow and lower reservoir levels. Recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, and camping are popular along the river, and efforts are ongoing to protect and restore its natural habitats.
Recreation along the Santa Clara River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara River
Where does the data for the Santa Clara 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.