USGS Streamgage 06821150
Little Platte River at Smithville, MO
Little Platte River at Smithville, MO is USGS streamgage 06821150 in Missouri, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10240012. It sits on the Little Platte River, alongside 1 other gauge Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 234 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1947. Typical flow runs near 44.8 cfs in July and 29.3 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
- Missouri
- Drainage area
- 234 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 815 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10240012
- Coordinates
- 39.38806, -94.57912
- USGS site number
- 06821150
- Records begin
- 1947-01-01 (79 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Little Platte River at Smithville, MO. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.4 | 13.7 | 16.9 | ||
| 10.2 | 12.8 | 19 | ||
| 10.2 | 13.1 | 66.8 | ||
| 10.1 | 14.2 | 350 | ||
| 9.6 | 12.6 | 66.7 | ||
| 9.6 | 13.2 | 196 | ||
| 9.2 | 12.5 | 131 | ||
| 9.1 | 12.7 | 180 | ||
| 8.7 | 12 | 46.1 | ||
| 8.4 | 11.6 | 28 | ||
| 8 | 11.1 | 20.8 | ||
| 7.8 | 11 | 19 | ||
| 7.7 | 10.9 | 18 | ||
| 7.3 | 10.4 | 15.9 |
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 50 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 | 7.8 | 15.8 | 419.7 | |
| February | 8 | 23.2 | 309.1 | |
| March | 10.2 | 28.9 | 554.5 | |
| April | 10.1 | 29.3 | 645.8 | |
| May | 9.8 | 43.3 | 829.1 | |
| June | 9 | 97 | 881.3 | |
| July | 8.5 | 44.8 | 940.8 | |
| August | 7.4 | 11.8 | 459.8 | |
| September | 6.8 | 10.7 | 461.5 | |
| October | 6.8 | 11.6 | 589.1 | |
| November | 7.3 | 12.8 | 498.5 | |
| December | 8 | 15.5 | 375.2 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Little Platte River at Smithville, MO normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 97 cfs, against 10.7 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Little Platte River at Smithville, MO?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 15.8 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 7.8 and 419.7 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Little Platte River at Smithville, MO been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06821150 begin in 1947, about 79 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Little Platte River at Smithville, MO?
- 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 Little Platte River at Smithville, MO?
- The gauge sits at 39.38806, -94.57912, in Missouri, in hydrologic subbasin 10240012, at an elevation of about 815 feet, draining roughly 234 square miles.
- Can I use Little Platte River at Smithville, MO 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 Little Platte River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Little Platte River in full.
- Little Platte River near Plattsburg, MO 65 sq mi
- Little Platte River at Smithville, MO this page