River Report

Sisquoc River river

2 streamgauges 100% of normal Last updated 2026-02-27
Aggregate flow
471cfs
% of normal
100%
Daily volume
934AF
Seasonal avg
471cfs

Total streamflow across the Sisquoc River was last observed at 471 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 934 acre-ft of water today; about 100% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 471 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-02-05 when daily discharge volume was observed at 5,530 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sisquoc R Nr Sisquoc Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 206 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sisquoc R Nr Garey with a gauge stage of 6.56 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Sisquoc River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 627 ft, the Sisquoc R Nr Sisquoc Ca.

Max discharge

Sisquoc R Nr Sisquoc Ca

206cfs
Highest stage

Sisquoc R Nr Garey

6.56ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Sisquoc R Nr Sisquoc Ca

627ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Sisquoc River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Sisquoc 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)
Sisquoc R Nr Sisquoc Ca CA
USGS 11138500
206 1.40 5.1 447% 0 23,200 627
Sisquoc R Nr Garey CA
USGS 11140000
· 6.56 · 0% 0 14,800 352
Annual peaks

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

Profile

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

About this river

Sisquoc River

The Sisquoc River is a 54-mile long tributary of the Santa Maria River in Santa Barbara County, California. The river has a rich history as it was once inhabited by Chumash Indians and later served as a vital transportation route for Spanish explorers. The river is fed by several creeks and springs, making it an important hydrological resource for the region. The Twitchell Reservoir and Jameson Reservoir are two major dam and reservoir systems on the Sisquoc River that are used for agricultural irrigation purposes. The river also supports recreational activities such as camping, hiking, and fishing. Despite its importance, the Sisquoc River faces threats from habitat destruction and water pollution, and efforts are being made to conserve and restore this valuable resource.

Around the river

Recreation along the Sisquoc River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Sisquoc 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.

FAQ

About the Sisquoc River

Where does the data for the Sisquoc 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.