List of U.S. rivers by discharge

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This is a list of rivers in the continental United States by average discharge (streamflow) in cubic feet per second. All rivers with average discharge more than 15,000 cubic feet per second are listed. Estimates are approximate, because data are variable with time period measured and also because many rivers lack a gauging station near their point of outflow.

No River Length (km)Length (miles)Average discharge (cf/s)Outflow
1 Mississippi River 3,7302,320593,000 [1] Gulf of Mexico
2 Ohio River 1,575 [2] 979 [2] 281,500 [3] Mississippi River
3 St. Lawrence River 965 [2] 600348,000 [1] (275,000 at U.S.-Canada boundary) Gulf of Saint Lawrence
4 Columbia River 2,000 [2] 1,243 [2] 273,000 [2] Pacific Ocean
5 Yukon River 3,185 [2] 1,980 [2] 227,000 [1] Bering Sea
6 Atchafalaya River 220137225,000 [1] Gulf of Mexico
7 Niagara River 5836204,700 [1] Lake Ontario
8 Detroit River 5132188,000 [1] Lake Erie
9 St. Clair River 6339183,000 [1] Lake St. Clair
10 Missouri River 3,767 [2] 2,341 [2] 86,300 Mississippi River
11 St. Marys River 1207575,000 [1] Lake Huron-Lake Michigan
12 Tennessee River 1,04965268,000 [1] Ohio River
13 Mobile River 724567,000 [1] Gulf of Mexico
14 Kuskokwim River 1,130 [2] 702 [2] 67,000 [1] Bering Sea
15 Red River 2,1901,36058,000 [1] Atchafalaya River
16 Copper River 47029057,400 [1] Gulf of Alaska
17 Snake River 1,674 [2] 1,040 [2] 55,000 [4] Columbia River
18 Stikine River 61037956,000 [1] Pacific Ocean
19 Susitna River 50431351,000 [1] Gulf of Alaska
20 Arkansas River 2,322 [2] 1,443 [2] 44,500 [5] Mississippi River
21 Tanana River 940 [2] 584 [2] 41,800 [2] Yukon River
22 Saint John River 673 [6] 418 [6] 38,800 [6] Bay of Fundy
23 Susquehanna River 74746438,200 [1] Chesapeake Bay
24 Willamette River 30118737,400 [1] Columbia River
25 Wabash River 810 [2] 503 [2] 34,500 [7] Ohio River
26 Alabama River 51231832,500 [8] Mobile River
27 Nushagak River 45028032,000? [9] Bering Sea
28 Alsek River 38624031,000 [10] Gulf of Alaska
29 Cumberland River 1,120 [2] 696 [2] 30,000? Ohio River
30 Black River-Ouachita River 974 [2] 605 [2] 29,800 [2] Red River
31 White River 1,159 [2] 720 [2] 29,500 [11] Mississippi River
32 Pend Oreille River 21013027,000 [12] Columbia River
33 Tombigbee River 32020026,300 [8] Mobile River
34 Koyukuk River 68442525,000? [13] Yukon River
35 Illinois River 43927324,000 [14] Mississippi River
36 Sacramento River 71944723,500 [15] Pacific Ocean
37 Porcupine River 91656923,000 [1] Yukon River
38 Colorado River 2,330 [2] 1,450 [2] 22,000 [1] Gulf of California
39 Clark Fork River 50031021,900 [16] Pend Oreille River
40 Hudson River 50731521,900 [17] Atlantic Ocean
41 Yentna River 1217521,000? [10] Susitna River
42 Chitina River 18011220,000? Copper River
43 Allegheny River 52332019,900 [18] Ohio River
44 Apalachicola River 805019,602 [19] Gulf of Mexico
45 Connecticut River 65540718,400 Atlantic Ocean
46 Kvichak River 805017,900 [10] Bering Sea
47 Klamath River 42326317,300 [20] Pacific Ocean
48 Santee River 23014317,000(approx.) [9] Atlantic Ocean
49 Skagit River 24015016,500 Pacific Ocean
50 Kootenai (Kootenay) River 78148527,600 (approx. 16,000? at U.S.-Canada boundary) Columbia River
51 Coosa River 45028016,000 [21] Alabama River
52 Kanawha River 1569716,000 [22] Ohio River
53 Clearwater River 1207515,300 [23] Snake River
54 Kobuk River 45128015,300 [10] Bering Sea
55 St. Johns River 50031015,000? Atlantic Ocean
56 Pee Dee River 37323215,000? [9] Atlantic Ocean

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolores River</span> River in Colorado and Utah in the United States

The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately 241 miles (388 km) long, in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The river drains a rugged and arid region of the Colorado Plateau west of the San Juan Mountains. Its name derives from the Spanish El Rio de Nuestra Señora de Dolores, River of Our Lady of Sorrows. The river was explored and possibly named by Juan Maria Antonio Rivera during a 1765 expedition from Santa Fe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Branch Delaware River</span> River in New York, United States

The West Branch Delaware River is one of two branches that form the Delaware River. It is approximately 90 mi (144 km) long, and flows through the U.S. states of New York and Pennsylvania. It winds through a mountainous area of New York in the western Catskill Mountains for most of its course, before joining the East Branch along the northeast border of Pennsylvania with New York. Midway or so it is empounded by the Cannonsville Dam to form the Cannonsville Reservoir, both part of the New York City water supply system for delivering drinking water to the City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit River</span> River in California, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feather River</span> River in California, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity River (California)</span> River in northern California

The Trinity River is a major river in northwestern California in the United States and is the principal tributary of the Klamath River. The Trinity flows for 165 miles (266 km) through the Klamath Mountains and Coast Ranges, with a watershed area of nearly 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) in Trinity and Humboldt Counties. Designated a National Wild and Scenic River, along most of its course the Trinity flows swiftly through tight canyons and mountain meadows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith River (California)</span> River in California, United States

The Smith River flows from the Klamath Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Del Norte County in extreme northwestern California, on the West Coast of the United States. The river, about 25.1 miles (40.4 km) long, all within Del Norte County, flows through the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queets River</span> River in Washington, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schoharie Creek</span> River in New York, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palouse River</span> River in Idaho, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Similkameen River</span> River in North America, through southern British Columbia and north central Washington state

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The Scott River is a 60-mile-long (97 km) river in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is a tributary of the Klamath River, one of the largest rivers in California.

Loramie Creek is a 40.0-mile-long (64.4 km) tributary of the Great Miami River in western Ohio in the United States. Via the Great Miami and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 265 square miles (690 km2). According to the Geographic Names Information System, the stream has also been known historically as "Laramie Creek," "Loramie Ditch," "Loramies Creek," and "Lonamie Creek." It is named after Louis Lorimier, a French-Canadian fur trader who had a trading post in the area in the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Puerco (Rio Grande tributary)</span> River in New Mexico, United States

The Rio Puerco is a tributary of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. From its source on the west side of the Nacimiento Mountains, it flows about 230 miles (370 km), generally south to join the Rio Grande about 20 miles (32 km) south of Belen and about 50 miles (80 km) south of Albuquerque. Its drainage basin is about 7,350 square miles (19,000 km2) large, of which probably about 1,130 square miles (2,900 km2) are noncontributing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost streams of Idaho</span> Group of partially subterranean rivers in Idaho, United States

There are two rivers in Idaho named "Lost", the Big Lost River and the Little Lost River. They are often considered separate streams, but both flow into the same depression and become subterranean, feeding the Snake River Aquifer. The rivers are located in Custer County and Butte County, in Idaho in the United States. Via the aquifer and numerous springs, they are tributaries of the Snake River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Fork Trinity River</span> River in California, United States

The South Fork Trinity River is the main tributary of the Trinity River, in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. It is part of the Klamath River drainage basin. It flows generally northwest from its source in the Klamath Mountains, 92 miles (148 km) through Humboldt and Trinity Counties, to join the Trinity near Salyer. The main tributaries are Hayfork Creek and the East Fork South Fork Trinity River. The river has no major dams or diversions, and is designated Wild and Scenic for its entire length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork Clearwater River</span> River in Idaho, United States

The North Fork Clearwater River is a major tributary of the Clearwater River in the U.S. state of Idaho. From its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains of eastern Idaho, it flows 135 miles (217 km) westward and is dammed by the Dworshak Dam just above its mouth in north-central Idaho. Draining a rugged watershed of 2,462 square miles (6,380 km2), the river has an average flow of over 5,600 cubic feet per second (160 m3/s), accounting for a third of the discharge from the Clearwater basin. The river drains parts of Clearwater, Shoshone, Latah, and Idaho counties. Most of the watershed is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Some of the fish of the river include westslope cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, and the threatened bull trout. It also has smallmouth bass and a kokanee salmon run, both from Dworshak Reservoir. The North Fork drainage is home to grizzly bears, cougars, deer, moose, black bear, elk, grey wolves, and osprey. The river used to have a large steelhead run before the implementation of Dworshak Dam. The North Fork of the Clearwater is located within the Clearwater National Forest

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Fork Eel River</span> River in California, United States

The Middle Fork Eel River is a major tributary of the Eel River of northwestern California in the United States. It drains a rugged and sparsely populated region of the Yolla Bolly Mountains, part of the California Coast Range, in Trinity and Mendocino Counties. Its watershed comprises roughly 745 square miles (1,930 km2) of land, or 20% of the entire Eel River basin. The river provides groundwater recharge and is used for recreation and for industrial, agricultural and municipal water supply by residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayfork Creek</span> River in California, United States

Hayfork Creek is a tributary of the South Fork Trinity River in Northern California in the United States. At over 50 miles (80 km) long, it is the river's longest tributary and is one of the southernmost streams in the Klamath Basin. It winds through a generally steep and narrow course north, then west through the forested Klamath Mountains, but also passes through the Hayfork and Hyampom Valleys, which are the primary agricultural regions of Trinity County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomes Creek</span> River in California, United States

Thomes Creek is a major watercourse on the west side of the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. The creek originates in the Coast Ranges and flows east for about 62 miles (100 km) to join the Sacramento River, at a point about 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Corning in Tehama County.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 U.S. Geological Survey (1992). "Largest Rivers in the United States" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Benke, Arthur C., ed., and Cushing, Colbert E., ed. Rivers of North America. Burlington, Mass.: Elsevier Academic Press.{{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Leeden, Frits van der (1990). The Water Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis Publishers. p.  126. ISBN   0-87371-120-3.
  4. ↑ "Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam, WA" (PDF). National Water Information System . United States Geological Survey. 1963–2000. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  5. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey (1949). "Large Rivers of the United States, Circular 44" (PDF).
  6. 1 2 3 "Saint John River". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  7. ↑ "USGS Water Data for Indiana".
  8. 1 2 "USGS Water Data for Alabama".
  9. 1 2 3 ""U.S. Geological Survey National Water Summary 1985: State Summaries of Surface-Water Resources". 1987.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "USGS Water Data for Alaska".
  11. ↑ "USGS Water Data for Arkansas".
  12. ↑ "USGS Gage #12396500 on the Pend Oreille River below Box Canyon, near Ione, WA" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1952–2013. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Geological Survey National Water Summary 1985: State Summaries of Surface-Water Resources". 1987.
  14. ↑ "USGS Gage #05586100 on the Illinois River at Valley City, IL" (PDF). National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. 1939–2012. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
  15. ↑ "USGS Gage #11447650 on the Sacramento River at Freeport, CA (Water-Data Report 2009)" (PDF). Water Resources of the United States. U.S. Geological Survey.
  16. ↑ "Montana Water Resources Data 2004"., file "Mill Creek above Bassoo Creek, near Niarada to Clark Fork at Whitehorse Rapids, near Cabinet, ID" (PDF)..
  17. ↑ "Estimates of monthly and annual net discharge, in cubic feet per second, of Hudson River at New York, N.Y." United States Geological Survey. October 15, 2010. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  18. ↑ http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/03049500.2009.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  19. ↑ "The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program study".
  20. ↑ "Water-Data Report 2013: 11530500 Klamath River near Klamath, CA" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey.
  21. ↑ "Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2009; gage 02411000, Coosa River at Jordan Dam near Wetumpka, AL" (PDF). USGS.
  22. ↑ United States Geological Survey; USGS 03193000 KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV.
  23. ↑ "USGS Gage #13343000 on the Clearwater River near Lewiston". United States Geological Survey National Water Information System.
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