Schuylkill River river
Total streamflow across the Schuylkill River was last observed at 14,176 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 28,118 acre-ft of water today; about 123% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 11,524 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-05-01 when daily discharge volume was observed at 203,020 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Schuylkill River At Philadelphia reporting a streamflow rate of 4,730 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Schuylkill River At Norristown with a gauge stage of 8.95 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Schuylkill River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 472 ft, the Schuylkill River At Landingville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Schuylkill River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Schuylkill 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Schuylkill River At Landingville
PA
USGS 01468500
|
429 | 4.08 | -4.7 | 153% | 52 | 5,860 | 472 |
|
Schuylkill River At Berne
PA
USGS 01470500
|
917 | 5.88 | -5.1 | 151% | 100 | 26,000 | 315 |
|
Schuylkill River At Reading
PA
USGS 01471510
|
1,680 | 4.20 | 36.6 | 125% | 196 | 41,900 | 187 |
|
Schuylkill River At Pottstown
PA
USGS 01472000
|
2,100 | 3.20 | 103.9 | 122% | 356 | 38,400 | 128 |
|
Schuylkill River At Norristown
PA
USGS 01473500
|
4,320 | 8.95 | 173.4 | 166% | 325 | 87,600 | 52 |
|
Schuylkill River At Philadelphia
PA
USGS 01474500
|
4,730 | 6.84 | 219.6 | 163% | 181 | 90,600 | 13 |
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
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a 135-mile-long river that runs through eastern Pennsylvania. The river played a significant role in the development and growth of Philadelphia, as it was used as a major trade route in the 18th and 19th centuries. The river's hydrology has been impacted by industrialization, resulting in pollution and degradation. However, significant efforts have been made to improve the water quality and restore the river's ecological health. The river is home to several reservoirs and dams, including the Fairmount Dam, which provides drinking water to the city of Philadelphia. The Schuylkill River is also used for recreational purposes, including kayaking, fishing, and hiking, and supports agricultural activities such as irrigation and livestock grazing.
Track the Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill River
Where does the data for the Schuylkill 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.