Surface-Water Information and Data

Surface-water data are collected from streamgaging stations in all the major river basins in Nevada. Near-real-time data are available for more than 120 stations; periodic and miscellaneous flow measurements are made at numerous sites, including springs. Water-quality data are collected at more than 100 sites, which vary from year to year. Precipitation data also are collected at more than 35 sites.

Daily Streamflow Conditions

Current streamflow conditions in Nevada; click to go to a live map.

Streamflow Data

The colored dots on the map depict streamflow conditions as a percentile, which is computed from the period of record for the current day of the year. Only stations with at least 30 years of record are used.

The white circles indicate other stations that were not ranked in percentiles either because they have fewer than 30 years of record or because they report parameters other than streamflow. Some stations, for example, measure stage only.

Surface water in Nevada varies both areally and seasonally. Total precipitation in Nevada averages less than 10 inches per year, making Nevada the driest state in the Nation. To effectively manage the limited water resources within the State, information about flow and stage of streams, as well as stage and volume of lakes and reservoirs, needs to be collected and compiled. This information can then be used by a wide variety of water-resources projects and programs including