USGS Streamgage 09444500
San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ
San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ is USGS streamgage 09444500 in Arizona, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 15040004. It sits on the San Francisco River, alongside 3 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 2,766 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1891. Typical flow runs near 56.9 cfs in July and 142.3 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
- Arizona
- Drainage area
- 2,766 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 3,438 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 15040004
- Coordinates
- 33.05604, -109.29902
- USGS site number
- 09444500
- Records begin
- 1891-02-21 (135 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 255 | 564 | 1,300 | ||
| 136 | 360 | 1,024 | ||
| 96.5 | 280 | 891 | ||
| 72.7 | 201 | 590 | ||
| 58.8 | 151 | 383 | ||
| 45.7 | 121 | 316 | ||
| 42.5 | 112 | 291 | ||
| 37.1 | 93.2 | 217 | ||
| 34 | 84.9 | 192 | ||
| 31.3 | 78.6 | 178 | ||
| 26.9 | 69.9 | 162 | ||
| 23.6 | 62.9 | 149 | ||
| 21.5 | 55 | 126 | ||
| 20.7 | 50.4 | 112 |
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 113 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 | 51 | 82.4 | 475.4 | |
| February | 53.1 | 109.7 | 946.4 | |
| March | 51.4 | 175.5 | 1,116.9 | |
| April | 44.1 | 142.3 | 701.2 | |
| May | 26.1 | 71.6 | 307.9 | |
| June | 13.5 | 35.6 | 93.6 | |
| July | 20.1 | 56.9 | 193 | |
| August | 34.6 | 99.9 | 408.1 | |
| September | 30.1 | 71.5 | 291.7 | |
| October | 28.4 | 56 | 202.9 | |
| November | 38.3 | 63 | 171.1 | |
| December | 47.1 | 73.5 | 329.8 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ normally run highest?
- March, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 175.5 cfs, against 35.6 cfs in June, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 82.4 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 51 and 475.4 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 09444500 begin in 1891, about 135 years, covering roughly 9,130 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ?
- 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 San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ?
- The gauge sits at 33.05604, -109.29902, in Arizona, in hydrologic subbasin 15040004, at an elevation of about 3,438 feet, draining roughly 2,766 square miles.
- Can I use San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ 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 San Francisco River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the San Francisco River in full.
- San Francisco River at Reserve, NM 336 sq mi
- San Francisco River near Glenwood, NM 1,653 sq mi
- San Francisco River at Clifton, AZ this page
- San Francisco River above Stone Creek near Luna, NM