Rivermatics

2 USGS Streamgages · Mississippi River system

L Medicine Bow River flows and levels

L Medicine Bow River is gauged at 2 USGS streamgages in Wyoming, each tracked by Rivermatics. It feeds the Little Medicine Bow River. It drains into the Mississippi River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 163 square miles at L Medicine Bow River ab Sand Creek, near Shirley Basin, WY up to 969 at L Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine Bow. The gauged reach falls about 395 feet, from 6,970 feet down to 6,575. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook for every one of them.

Gauges on this river, upstream to downstream

Ordered by drainage area, which is how far down the river each gauge sits. April and July figures are long-term median daily flows for that month from the USGS record — historical normals, not a forecast and not today's reading.

USGS streamgages on this river, ordered upstream to downstream
Gauge State Drainage sq mi Elevation ft April p50 cfs July p50 cfs Forecast
L Medicine Bow River ab Sand Creek, near Shirley Basin, WY WY 163 6,970 35.4 2.9 14-day
L Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine Bow WY 969 6,575 85.2 8.9 14-day

Typical flow by month at L Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine Bow

The furthest-downstream gauge on this river, so the fullest flow it carries here. Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 42 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.

Historical monthly discharge percentiles in cubic feet per second
Month Low p10 Typical p50 High p90 Range
January 0.6 1.5 5.6
February 0.8 3.3 12.9
March 6.2 26.6 112.9
April 27.7 85.2 244.9
May 23.7 134.7 387.5
June 5.8 33.4 200
July 1.2 8.9 36.5
August 0.5 4.8 18
September 0.7 3.8 9.8
October 3.1 6.6 14.3
November 2.1 6.1 15.6
December 1 2.9 9.7

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does the L Medicine Bow River run highest?
May, on the long-term record at L Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine Bow — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 134.7 cfs that month, against 1.5 cfs in January, the lowest. Upstream gauges peak on their own schedule; the table on this page gives April and July for each.
How many gauges are on the L Medicine Bow River?
Rivermatics tracks 2 USGS streamgages on the L Medicine Bow River, across Wyoming. Each has its own page with the site's full flow record and monthly normals. The river may carry other gauges that publish neither daily values nor discharge statistics; those are not tracked here.
Is there a flow forecast for the L Medicine Bow River?
Yes, at 2 of the 2 gauges. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on each basin's observed flows, weather and snowpack, and issues a daily 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 each gauge's live screen.
What river system is the L Medicine Bow River part of?
The L Medicine Bow River drains into the Mississippi River system — it is a tributary somewhere in that chain, following the flowpath down to its terminal river. Rivermatics builds this from the USGS/geoconnex reference-mainstem network rather than from names.
Can I use L Medicine Bow River 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.

Other rivers in the Mississippi River system

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