List of rivers of the United States 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 LengthAverage discharge Outflow
mileskmcu ft/sm3/s
1 Mississippi River 2,3203,730593,000 [1] 16,800 m3/s Gulf of Mexico
2 Ohio River 979 [2] 1,575 [2] 281,500 [3] 7,970 m3/s Mississippi River
3 St. Lawrence River 600965 [2] 348,000 [1] (275,000 at U.S.-Canada boundary)9,900 m3/s (7,800 m3/s at U.S.-Canada boundary) Gulf of Saint Lawrence
4 Columbia River 1,243 [2] 2,000 [2] 273,000 [2] 7,700 m3/s Pacific Ocean
5 Yukon River 1,980 [2] 3,185 [2] 227,000 [1] 6,400 m3/s Bering Sea
6 Atchafalaya River 137220225,000 [1] 6,400 m3/s Gulf of Mexico
7 Niagara River 3658204,700 [1] 5,800 m3/s Lake Ontario
8 Detroit River 3251188,000 [1] 5,300 m3/s Lake Erie
9 St. Clair River 3963183,000 [1] 5,200 m3/s Lake St. Clair
10 Missouri River 2,341 [2] 3,767 [2] 86,3002,440 m3/s Mississippi River
11 St. Marys River 7512075,000 [1] 2,100 m3/s Lake Huron-Lake Michigan
12 Tennessee River 6521,04968,000 [1] 1,900 m3/s Ohio River
13 Mobile River 457267,000 [1] 1,900 m3/s Gulf of Mexico
14 Kuskokwim River 702 [2] 1,130 [2] 67,000 [1] 1,900 m3/s Bering Sea
15 Red River 1,3602,19058,000 [1] 1,600 m3/s Atchafalaya River
16 Copper River 29047057,400 [1] 1,630 m3/s Gulf of Alaska
17 Snake River 1,040 [2] 1,674 [2] 55,000 [4] 1,600 m3/s Columbia River
18 Stikine River 37961056,000 [1] 1,600 m3/s Pacific Ocean
19 Susitna River 31350451,000 [1] 1,400 m3/s Gulf of Alaska
20 Arkansas River 1,443 [2] 2,322 [2] 44,500 [5] 1,260 m3/s Mississippi River
21 Tanana River 584 [2] 940 [2] 41,800 [2] 1,180 m3/s Yukon River
22 Saint John River 418 [6] 673 [6] 38,800 [6] 1,100 m3/s Bay of Fundy
23 Susquehanna River 46474738,200 [1] 1,080 m3/s Chesapeake Bay
24 Willamette River 18730137,400 [1] 1,060 m3/s Columbia River
25 Wabash River 503 [2] 810 [2] 34,500 [7] 980 m3/s Ohio River
26 Alabama River 31851232,500 [8] 920 m3/s Mobile River
27 Nushagak River 28045032,000? [9] 910 m3/s Bering Sea
28 Alsek River 24038631,000 [10] 880 m3/s Gulf of Alaska
29 Cumberland River 696 [2] 1,120 [2] 30,000?850 m3/s Ohio River
30 Black River-Ouachita River 605 [2] 974 [2] 29,800 [2] 840 m3/s Red River
31 White River 720 [2] 1,159 [2] 29,500 [11] 840 m3/s Mississippi River
32 Pend Oreille River 13021027,000 [12] 760 m3/s Columbia River
33 Tombigbee River 20032026,300 [8] 740 m3/s Mobile River
34 Koyukuk River 42568425,000? [13] 710 m3/s Yukon River
35 Illinois River 27343924,000 [14] 680 m3/s Mississippi River
36 Sacramento River 44771923,500 [15] 670 m3/s Pacific Ocean
37 Porcupine River 56991623,000 [1] 650 m3/s Yukon River
38 Colorado River 1,450 [2] 2,330 [2] 22,000 [1] 620 m3/s Gulf of California
39 Clark Fork River 31050021,900 [16] 620 m3/s Pend Oreille River
40 Hudson River 31550721,900 [17] 620 m3/s Atlantic Ocean
41 Yentna River 7512121,000? [10] 590 m3/s Susitna River
42 Chitina River 11218020,000?570 m3/s Copper River
43 Allegheny River 32052319,900 [18] 560 m3/s Ohio River
44 Apalachicola River 508019,602 [19] 555.1 m3/s Gulf of Mexico
45 Connecticut River 40765518,400520 m3/s Atlantic Ocean
46 Kvichak River 508017,900 [10] 510 m3/s Bering Sea
47 Klamath River 26342317,300 [20] 490 m3/s Pacific Ocean
48 Santee River 14323017,000(approx.) [9] 480 m3/s Atlantic Ocean
49 Skagit River 15024016,500470 m3/s Pacific Ocean
50 Kootenai (Kootenay) River 48578127,600 (approx. 16,000? at U.S.-Canada boundary)780 m3/s (approx. 450 m3/s? at U.S.-Canada boundary) Columbia River
51 Coosa River 28045016,000 [21] 450 m3/s Alabama River
52 Kanawha River 9715616,000 [22] 450 m3/s Ohio River
53 Clearwater River 7512015,300 [23] 430 m3/s Snake River
54 Kobuk River 28045115,300 [10] 430 m3/s Bering Sea
55 St. Johns River 31050015,000?420 m3/s Atlantic Ocean
56 Pee Dee River 23237315,000? [9] 420 m3/s Atlantic Ocean

See also

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. ↑ "Water-Data Report 2009 - 03049500 Allegheny river at Natrona, PA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-31.
  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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