Shasta River river
Total streamflow across the Shasta River was last observed at 299 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 593 acre-ft of water today; about 119% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 252 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-02-05 when daily discharge volume was observed at 3,307 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Shasta R Nr Yreka Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 169 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Shasta River, with a gauge stage of 3.5 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Shasta River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,462 ft, the Shasta R Nr Montague Ca.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Shasta River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Shasta River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shasta R Nr Montague Ca
CA
USGS 11517000
|
130 | 1.83 | 17.8 | 140% | 9 | 2,400 | 2,462 |
|
Shasta R Nr Yreka Ca
CA
USGS 11517500
|
169 | 3.50 | 64.1 | 157% | 5 | 2,900 | 2,065 |
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
Shasta River
The Shasta River is a 58-mile-long tributary of the Klamath River located in Northern California. The river has a long history, as it was used by indigenous people for fishing, hunting, and gathering. In the 1850s, gold mining brought settlers to the area, and agriculture developed in the late 1800s. The river has two main reservoirs, the Dwinnell and the Shasta Reservoirs, which are used for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation. The Shasta River also provides habitat for various fish species, including Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and camping are popular along the river, and agriculture remains an important part of the local economy. However, the river has faced challenges such as declining fish populations and water scarcity due to drought and increased demand for irrigation.
Recreation along the Shasta River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Shasta 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 Shasta River
Where does the data for the Shasta 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.