2025-12-17T18:00:00-07:00
* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243 and 245. * TIMING...From 11 AM this morning to 6 PM MST this evening. * WINDS...West 30 to 50 mph with gusts up to 80 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...15 to 25 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Whitewater River
was last observed at
1,197
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
2,373
acre-ft of water today; about 60%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
2,006 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-02-08 when daily discharge volume was observed at
51,883 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Whitewater R A Windy Point Main Channel Ca
reporting a streamflow rate of 486 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Whitewater R A Windy Point Overflow Channel Ca
with a gauge stage of 12 ft.
This river is monitored from 9 different streamgauging stations along the Whitewater River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,242 ft, the
Whitewater R At Towanda.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-17 |
| Discharge Volume | 2,373 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
1,196.5 cfs
+5.9 cfs (+0.5%) |
| Percent of Normal | 59.64% |
| Maximum |
51,882.7 cfs
2019-02-08 |
| Seasonal Avg | 2,006 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Whitewater R At Towanda
USGS 07147070 |
47 cfs | 1.97 ft | 3.77 | |||||
|
Whitewater River Near Economy
USGS 03274650 |
1 cfs | 4.22 ft | 34.29 | |||||
|
Whitewater R A Windy Point Overflow Channel Ca
USGS 10257549 |
0 cfs | 12 ft | None | |||||
|
Whitewater R A Windy Point Main Channel Ca
USGS 10257548 |
486 cfs | 5.48 ft | 0.83 | |||||
|
Whitewater River Near Alpine
USGS 03275000 |
122 cfs | 4.43 ft | -6.87 | |||||
|
Whitewater River At Brookville
USGS 03276500 |
476 cfs | 2.65 ft | 2.15 | |||||
|
Whitewater R A Rancho Mirage Ca
USGS 10259100 |
0 cfs | 6.36 ft | None | |||||
|
Whitewater R A Indio Ca
USGS 10259300 |
0 cfs | 6.62 ft | None | |||||
|
Whitewater R Nr Mecca
USGS 10259540 |
66 cfs | 3.46 ft | -1.2 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
A whitewater river is classified based on its chemistry, sediments and water colour. Whitewater rivers have high levels of suspended sediments, giving the water a pH that is near-neutral, a high electric conductivity and a pale muddy, café au lait-like colour. Whitewater rivers are of great ecological importance and are important to local fisheries. The major seasonal Amazonian floodplains known as várzea receive their water from them.The best-known whitewater rivers are Amazonian and have their source in the Andes, but there are also whitewater rivers elsewhere in South America and in other continents.Amazonian rivers fall into three main categories: whitewater, blackwater and clearwater. This classification system was first proposed by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1853 based on water colour, but the types were more clearly defined according to chemistry and physics by Harald Sioli (de) from the 1950s to the 1980s. Although many Amazonian rivers fall clearly into one of these categories, others show a mix of characteristics and may vary depending on season and flood levels.