USGS Streamgage 06098120
Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT
Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT is USGS streamgage 06098120 in Montana, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10030201. It sits on the Birch Creek, alongside 2 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 481 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 2020. Typical flow runs near 30.5 cfs in July and 23.7 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in July. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Montana
- Drainage area
- 481 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 3,507 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10030201
- Coordinates
- 48.3911, -112.31966
- USGS site number
- 06098120
- Records begin
- 2020-08-25 (6 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63.2 | 77.3 | 115 | ||
| 63.6 | 107 | 260 | ||
| 60.3 | 108 | 260 | ||
| 52.2 | 88.4 | 193 | ||
| 46.3 | 75.3 | 149 | ||
| 41.4 | 69.5 | 133 | ||
| 36.3 | 61.8 | 115 | ||
| 30 | 54.4 | 99.7 | ||
| 26.1 | 49.1 | 89.5 | ||
| 24.2 | 45.7 | 83.3 | ||
| 23.8 | 43.9 | 78.9 | ||
| 25.7 | 44.7 | 77.4 | ||
| 28.7 | 47.6 | 80.5 | ||
| 26.4 | 44.1 | 75.2 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 6 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | 18.5 | — | |
| February | — | 19.5 | — | |
| March | — | 24.7 | — | |
| April | — | 23.7 | — | |
| May | — | 26.7 | — | |
| June | — | 35.9 | — | |
| July | — | 30.5 | — | |
| August | — | 24.5 | — | |
| September | — | 21.7 | — | |
| October | — | 32 | — | |
| November | — | 28.5 | — | |
| December | — | 16.9 | — |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 35.9 cfs, against 16.9 cfs in December, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- How long has Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06098120 begin in 2020, about 6 years, covering roughly 2,171 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT?
- The gauge sits at 48.3911, -112.31966, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 10030201, at an elevation of about 3,507 feet, draining roughly 481 square miles.
- Can I use Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the Birch Creek
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Birch Creek in full.
- Birch Creek below Heart Butte Road, near Heart Butte, MT 102 sq mi
- Birch Creek at Robare, MT 132 sq mi
- Birch Creek at Bullhead Bridge, near Valier, MT this page