Shields River river
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Shields River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Shields River
All 1 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shields River Nr Livingston Mt
MT
USGS 06195600
|
157 | 1.17 | -15.1 | 16% | 18 | 4,380 | 4,419 |
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
Shields River
The Shields River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, located in Montana. It is approximately 60 miles long and has a rich history of agriculture and ranching, dating back to the 1800s. The river is fed by snowmelt from the Crazy Mountains and provides irrigation water for agricultural purposes.
There are several reservoirs and dams along the Shields River, including the Upper and Lower Shields River Reservoirs and the Martinsdale Reservoir. These reservoirs provide additional water storage for irrigation and recreational uses such as fishing and boating.
The hydrology of the Shields River fluctuates seasonally, with peak flows in the spring and low flows in the late summer and fall. In recent years, drought conditions have impacted the river's flow and water availability.
Overall, the Shields River is an important resource for agriculture and recreation in Montana, and efforts are being made to conserve and manage its water resources for future generations.
Recreation along the Shields River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Shields 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 Shields River
Where does the data for the Shields 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.