Watauga River Flow
As of 2026-08-09, the Watauga River is flowing at a combined 970 cfs across 2 USGS streamgauges — 150% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 648 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Watauga River was last observed at 970 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,924 acre-ft of water today; about 150% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 648 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2020-02-06 when daily discharge volume was observed at 12,870 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Watauga River At Elizabethton reporting a streamflow rate of 669 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Watauga River, with a gauge stage of 3.5 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Watauga River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,613 ft, the Watauga River Near Sugar Grove.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Watauga River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Watauga 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Watauga River Near Sugar Grove
NC
USGS 03479000
|
301 | 2.43 | 55.2 | 310% | 23 | 10,600 | 2,613 |
|
Watauga River At Elizabethton
TN
USGS 03486000
|
669 | 3.50 | 1.1 | 125% | 294 | 9,780 | 1,489 |
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
Watauga River
The Watauga River is a tributary of the Tennessee River that runs for approximately 78 miles through North Carolina and Tennessee. The river was historically used by Native American tribes as a source of food and transportation. Today, it is a popular spot for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and rafting. The river's hydrology is affected by several reservoirs and dams, including the Watauga Dam, which was constructed in the early 1940s for hydroelectric power generation and flood control. The reservoir behind the dam, known as Watauga Lake, is a popular spot for boating and fishing. The river is also used for irrigation in agricultural areas along its banks.
Recreation along the Watauga River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Watauga 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 Watauga River
How is the Watauga River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-09, the Watauga River is flowing at a combined 970 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 150% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Watauga River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Watauga 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.