Yellow Medicine River river
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Yellow Medicine River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Yellow Medicine River
All 1 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Yellow Medicine River Near Granite Falls
MN
USGS 05313500
|
177 | 3.76 | 18.0 | 52% | 0 | 7,690 | 986 |
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
Yellow Medicine River
The Yellow Medicine River is a tributary of the Minnesota River that flows through southwestern Minnesota. The river is approximately 90 miles long and has a watershed area of 1,050 square miles. The river's name is derived from the Dakota word for the plant goldenrod, which is common along its banks. The river has a unique history, as it was once an important transportation route for Native American tribes and early settlers. Today, the river is used for agricultural purposes, with over 80% of the land in the watershed being used for farming. There are several dams and reservoirs along the Yellow Medicine River, including the Granite Falls Dam and Reservoir, which is used for hydroelectric power generation and recreation. The river is popular for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing, and offers scenic views of the surrounding prairie landscape.
Track the Yellow Medicine 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 Yellow Medicine River
Where does the data for the Yellow Medicine 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.