USGS Streamgage 06172310
Milk River at Tampico, MT
Milk River at Tampico, MT is USGS streamgage 06172310 in Montana, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10050012. It sits on the Milk River, alongside 8 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 21,341 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1952. Typical flow runs near 138.2 cfs in July and 240.4 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. 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
- 21,341 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 2,102 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 10050012
- Coordinates
- 48.30791, -106.82232
- USGS site number
- 06172310
- Records begin
- 1952-04-17 (74 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Milk River at Tampico, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.1 | 82.9 | 129 | ||
| 51.5 | 89.9 | 201 | ||
| 45.8 | 90.5 | 264 | ||
| 43.2 | 90.2 | 272 | ||
| 38.7 | 89.3 | 297 | ||
| 35.8 | 85.5 | 268 | ||
| 34.6 | 89 | 297 | ||
| 32.2 | 86.5 | 283 | ||
| 30.4 | 85.5 | 261 | ||
| 27.7 | 83 | 259 | ||
| 29.3 | 90.8 | 279 | ||
| 32.5 | 100 | 294 | ||
| 33.2 | 102 | 298 | ||
| 37.5 | 116 | 333 |
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 53 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 | 54.4 | 118.8 | 849.2 | |
| February | 52.2 | 131.8 | 446.5 | |
| March | 60.3 | 230 | 3,309 | |
| April | 9.5 | 240.4 | 3,967 | |
| May | 12.2 | 199.7 | 2,356.1 | |
| June | 28.2 | 285.7 | 2,520.3 | |
| July | 11.3 | 138.2 | 1,346.6 | |
| August | 11.5 | 85.3 | 550.8 | |
| September | 21.6 | 99.6 | 629.6 | |
| October | 42.1 | 143.4 | 610.8 | |
| November | 84 | 158.1 | 594 | |
| December | 66.6 | 132.9 | 333.2 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Milk River at Tampico, MT normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 285.7 cfs, against 85.3 cfs in August, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Milk River at Tampico, MT?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 118.8 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 54.4 and 849.2 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Milk River at Tampico, MT been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 06172310 begin in 1952, about 74 years, covering roughly 6,295 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Milk River at Tampico, 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 Milk River at Tampico, MT?
- The gauge sits at 48.30791, -106.82232, in Montana, in hydrologic subbasin 10050012, at an elevation of about 2,102 feet, draining roughly 21,341 square miles.
- Can I use Milk River at Tampico, 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 Milk River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Milk River in full.
- Milk River at Eastern Crossing of Int Bndry 2,452 sq mi
- Milk River at Havre, MT 5,655 sq mi
- Milk River at Merrill Rd, near Harlem, MT 8,925 sq mi
- Milk River near Harlem, MT 9,652 sq mi
- Milk River near Dodson, MT 11,134 sq mi
- Milk River at Malta, MT 11,654 sq mi
- Milk River at Juneberg Bridge near Saco, MT 17,691 sq mi
- Milk River at Tampico, MT this page
- Milk River at Nashua, MT 22,452 sq mi