Rivermatics

9 USGS Streamgages · Colorado River system

Little Colorado River flows and levels

Little Colorado River is gauged at 9 USGS streamgages in Arizona, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 370 miles (596 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains into the Colorado River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 29 square miles at Little Colorado River at Greer, AZ up to 26,972 at Little Colorado River above Mouth near Desert View, AZ. The gauged reach falls about 5,534 feet, from 8,294 feet down to 2,760. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 7 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
Little Colorado River at Greer, AZ AZ 29 8,294 21.7 8.8 14-day
Little Colorado River above Lyman Lake near St. Johns, AZ AZ 706 6,005 26.7 3.2 14-day
Little Colorado River below Salado Springs, AZ AZ 845 5,785 1.8 6.8 14-day
Little Colorado River at Woodruff, AZ AZ 8,072 5,132 3.9 7.3 14-day
Little Colorado River at Holbrook, AZ AZ 11,462 5,063 3.8 22.1 —
Little Colorado River near Joseph City, AZ AZ 12,384 5,031 3.7 255.1 —
Little Colorado River near Winslow, AZ AZ 16,192 4,836 52 21.2 14-day
Little Colorado River near Cameron, AZ AZ 26,459 3,979 86.7 6.4 14-day
Little Colorado River above Mouth near Desert View, AZ AZ 26,972 2,760 283.7 228.5 14-day

Typical flow by month at Little Colorado River above Mouth near Desert View, AZ

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 36 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 212.5 225.2 863.4
February 214.9 238.6 1,206.1
March 217.6 410.9 1,543.5
April 214.3 283.7 1,397.3
May 207.2 219.2 330.6
June 207.9 218.2 232.7
July 213.4 228.5 782.5
August 216.6 306.8 1,551.8
September 215.6 242.7 876.2
October 210.3 230.1 891.9
November 212 222.4 329.3
December 213 223.6 467.4

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does the Little Colorado River run highest?
March, on the long-term record at Little Colorado River above Mouth near Desert View, AZ — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 410.9 cfs that month, against 218.2 cfs in June, 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 Little Colorado River?
Rivermatics tracks 9 USGS streamgages on the Little Colorado River, across Arizona. 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 Little Colorado River?
Yes, at 7 of the 9 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 Little Colorado River part of?
The Little Colorado River drains into the Colorado 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 Little Colorado 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 Colorado River system

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