RIVER GAUGES


Real-time streamflow data is readily available online and through the use of mobile apps:


The NWS and USGS pages display stream status (high, low, flood, etc.) as colored, clickable icons. Those can be useful for a quick assessment, but for more detail you'll want to click on each gauge of interest. Guidance on interpretation is provided below.


Terms to Know:

(You may find that the USGS doesn't publish discharge data in winter, while it may be available on the NWS and USACE pages.)


Before you read on:


Keep Notes! 

Digging Deeper: 

This table indicates that the median value over 80 years of records is 209 cfs, and that happens to be a really nice level for most paddlers. At the 25th percentile value of 81 cfs one would want to have the skills to stay in deep water - and be willing to walk a few of the riffles. The mean value for July 23rd was 535 cfs, and 75% of all daily mean values were under 499 cfs


For the South Skunk above Ames, those historical numbers represent a range of what one might consider to be normal, and persons lacking the skills or ability to safely navigate around obstacles (e.g. strainers and sweepers) should use caution at higher than normal levels. 


Realize that these historical numbers will vary with the seasons, so once you've found the table of your gauge of interest, click on "more" to open a table of Mean of Daily Mean Values for the entire year.**  For the South Skunk above Ames the historical data indicates that mean flows are highest during the month of June (typical for Iowa), and one could assume that those numbers are also normal for that part of the Skunk.


* The IFIS gauges report the water surface elevation above sea level along with the elevation of the gauge sensor, so you can determine (or select to display) actual stream depth at the gauge site. IFIS Gauges don't include discharge data but are often useful when there are no USGS, NWS or USACE Gauges nearby.


**A Mean of Daily Mean Values table can also be created (and customized) from a drop-down box on the Legacy Page. Select "Available Data For This Site" and then "Time-Series: Daily statistics."