Sweetwater River river
Total streamflow across the Sweetwater River was last observed at 83 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 165 acre-ft of water today; about 16% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 513 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2017-05-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 2,720 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sweetwater River Near Sweetwater Station reporting a streamflow rate of 95.6 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca with a gauge stage of 3.67 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Sweetwater River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 6,593 ft, the Sweetwater River Near Sweetwater Station.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Sweetwater River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Sweetwater River
All 4 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sweetwater River Near Sweetwater Station
WY
USGS 06638090
|
96 | 2.13 | 11.1 | 27% | 2 | 1,530 | 6,593 |
|
Sweetwater River Near Alcova
WY
USGS 06639000
|
27 | 1.77 | -6.2 | 25% | 3 | 4,290 | 5,889 |
|
Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca
CA
USGS 11015000
|
0 | 3.67 | 150.0 | 8% | 0 | 2,000 | 3,295 |
|
Sweetwater R A Dehesa Ca
CA
USGS 11016200
|
· | 2.91 | · | 0% | 0 | 362 | 521 |
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
Sweetwater River
The Sweetwater River is a 55-mile long river located in San Diego County, California. Historically, it was used by the Kumeyaay people for fishing and hunting. Today, it serves as a major source of water for the county. The river's hydrology is affected by both natural factors, such as rainfall, and man-made factors, including water diversion and dam operations. Specific reservoirs and dams on the Sweetwater River include Loveland Reservoir, Sweetwater Reservoir, and Lower Sweetwater Dam. These structures are used to store water for municipal and agricultural purposes. Recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, and camping are popular along the river, though access can be limited due to private property rights.
Recreation along the Sweetwater River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater River
Where does the data for the Sweetwater 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.