Wild Rice River river
Total streamflow across the Wild Rice River was last observed at 591 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,172 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 1,610 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2013-04-29 when daily discharge volume was observed at 11,743 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Wild Rice River At Twin Valley reporting a streamflow rate of 226 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Wild Rice River Nr Abercrombie with a gauge stage of 10.87 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Wild Rice River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,203 ft, the Wild Rice River Nr Rutland.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Wild Rice River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Wild Rice 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wild Rice River Nr Rutland
ND
USGS 05051600
|
62 | 2.80 | 16.4 | 41% | 0 | 2,700 | 1,203 |
|
Wild Rice River At Twin Valley
MN
USGS 05062500
|
226 | 2.73 | 10.2 | 46% | 4 | 20,300 | 1,016 |
|
Wild Rice River Nr Abercrombie
ND
USGS 05053000
|
105 | 10.87 | 2.9 | 18% | 0 | 14,100 | 923 |
|
Wild Rice River At Hendrum
MN
USGS 05064000
|
226 | 5.11 | -2.2 | 47% | 1 | 10,600 | 851 |
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
Wild Rice River
The Wild Rice River is a 122.5-mile-long tributary of the Red River of the North in Minnesota and North Dakota. The river was historically important to Native American tribes who hunted and fished in the area. Several dams and reservoirs have been constructed along the river, including the Buffalo River Dam, Lake Shure Dam, and the Sand Hill River Dam. These serve multiple purposes, including flood control, recreation, and irrigation. The Wild Rice River is also important for agricultural purposes, as it supports crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. Additionally, the river is popular for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and birdwatching, with several campgrounds and parks located along its banks.
Recreation along the Wild Rice River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Wild Rice 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 Wild Rice River
Where does the data for the Wild Rice 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.