River Report

Swift River river

2 streamgauges 37% of normal Last updated 2026-05-22
Aggregate flow
132cfs
% of normal
37%
Daily volume
262AF
Seasonal avg
360cfs

Total streamflow across the Swift River was last observed at 132 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 262 acre-ft of water today; about 37% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 360 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2014-04-16 when daily discharge volume was observed at 9,130 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Swift River Near Roxbury reporting a streamflow rate of 132 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Swift River At West Ware with a gauge stage of 2.17 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Swift River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 619 ft, the Swift River Near Roxbury.

Max discharge

Swift River Near Roxbury

132cfs
Highest stage

Swift River At West Ware

2.17ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Swift River Near Roxbury

619ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Swift 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 Swift 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)
Swift River Near Roxbury ME
USGS 01055000
132 1.95 -18.5 41% 6 16,800 619
Swift River At West Ware MA
USGS 01175500
43 2.17 0.0 29% 6 7,590 370
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

Swift River

The Swift River is a major tributary of the Chicopee River in Massachusetts, USA. It is 25 miles long and has a drainage area of 185 square miles. The river has a long history of human use, including for fishing, farming, and industrial purposes. Today, the river is home to several large reservoirs, including the Quabbin Reservoir, which provides drinking water to over 2 million people in Massachusetts. The Swift River also has several hydroelectric dams, including the Bondsville Dam and the Enfield Dam. The river is popular for recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and kayaking, and it is also used for agricultural irrigation. Despite its many uses, the Swift River is also a valuable natural resource and is home to a variety of aquatic species.

Track the Swift 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 Swift River

Where does the data for the Swift 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.