Smith River river
Total streamflow across the Smith River was last observed at 2,522 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 5,002 acre-ft of water today; about 29% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 8,679 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2016-12-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at 72,720 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Smith R Nr Crescent City Ca reporting a streamflow rate of 675 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Smith River Abv Trail Brdg Resv Nr Belknap Springs with a gauge stage of 2196.27 ft. This river is monitored from 12 different streamgauging stations along the Smith River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,402 ft, the Smith River Near Ft Logan Mt.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Smith River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Smith River
All 12 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Smith River Near Ft Logan Mt
MT
USGS 06076690
|
151 | 3.12 | -10.1 | 41% | 5 | 2,330 | 4,402 |
|
Smith River Bl Eagle Cr Nr Fort Logan Mt
MT
USGS 06077200
|
270 | 3.62 | -11.8 | 34% | 36 | 4,020 | 4,354 |
|
Smith River Near Eden Mt
MT
USGS 06077500
|
361 | 3.58 | -9.5 | 31% | 25 | 5,580 | 3,500 |
|
Smith R Ab Smith R Res Nr Belknap Sprgs
OR
USGS 14158790
|
15 | 5.38 | -6.5 | 24% | 2 | 4,080 | 2,611 |
|
Smith River Abv Trail Brdg Resv Nr Belknap Springs
OR
USGS 14158798
|
7 | 2196.27 | 0.0 | 28% | 4 | 1,260 | 2,232 |
|
Smith River At Smith Riv Church Nr Woolwine
VA
USGS 02071530
|
24 | 2.34 | 101.7 | 55% | 1 | 3,660 | 1,240 |
|
Smith River Near Philpott
VA
USGS 02072000
|
126 | 2.74 | 0.0 | 47% | 31 | 5,960 | 846 |
|
Smith River At Bassett
VA
USGS 02072500
|
132 | 1.72 | -13.7 | 31% | 46 | 6,700 | 770 |
|
Smith River At Martinsville
VA
USGS 02073000
|
185 | 1.83 | -34.6 | 27% | 14 | 16,100 | 683 |
|
Smith River At Eden
NC
USGS 02074000
|
248 | 2.23 | -62.9 | 29% | 7 | 18,100 | 548 |
|
Smith River Near Bristol
NH
USGS 01078000
|
106 | 2.85 | -15.9 | 85% | 5 | 2,620 | 472 |
|
Smith R Nr Crescent City Ca
CA
USGS 11532500
|
675 | 5.29 | -3.3 | 43% | 154 | 71,900 | 96 |
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
Smith River
The Smith River is a 104-mile long river located in northwest California. It flows through Del Norte and Siskiyou counties and eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean. The river has a rich history and was once home to various Native American tribes. Today, it is known for its recreational activities, including fishing, boating, and camping. The river's hydrology is influenced by the Klamath Mountains and its numerous tributaries. There are no major dams along the Smith River, but there are several small reservoirs that provide water for agricultural purposes. The river is also used for irrigation and livestock watering. The Smith River is considered one of the cleanest rivers in the United States, and efforts are being made to preserve its unique ecosystem.
Track the Smith 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 Smith River
Where does the data for the Smith 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.