2 USGS Streamgages · Santa Cruz River system
Rillito Creek flows and levels
Rillito Creek is gauged at 2 USGS streamgages in Arizona, each tracked by Rivermatics. It feeds the Rillito River. It drains into the Santa Cruz River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 871 square miles at Rillito Creek at Dodge Boulevard, at Tucson, AZ up to 922 at Rillito Creek at La Cholla Blvd near Tucson, AZ. The gauged reach falls about 124 feet, from 2,370 feet down to 2,246. 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.
| Gauge | State | Drainage sq mi | Elevation ft | April p50 cfs | July p50 cfs | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rillito Creek at Dodge Boulevard, at Tucson, AZ | AZ | 871 | 2,370 | 0 | 0 | 14-day |
| Rillito Creek at La Cholla Blvd near Tucson, AZ | AZ | 922 | 2,246 | 0 | 0 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Rillito Creek at La Cholla Blvd near Tucson, 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 31 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 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | |
| February | 0 | 0 | 20.1 | |
| March | 0 | 0 | 9.2 | |
| April | 0 | 0 | 3.1 | |
| May | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| June | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | |
| July | 0 | 0 | 56 | |
| August | 0 | 0 | 40.6 | |
| September | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | |
| October | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | |
| November | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | |
| December | 0 | 0 | 2.1 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Rillito Creek run highest?
- January, on the long-term record at Rillito Creek at La Cholla Blvd near Tucson, AZ — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 0 cfs that month, against 0 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 Rillito Creek?
- Rivermatics tracks 2 USGS streamgages on the Rillito Creek, 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 Rillito Creek?
- 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 Rillito Creek part of?
- The Rillito Creek drains into the Santa Cruz 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 Rillito Creek 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 Santa Cruz River system
- Pantano Wash 2 gauges