Arizona · Globe, AZ

Salt River float season

Gauge 09497500 on the Upper Salt River Canyon below the US 60 bridge. Rafters chase a short snowmelt window through a remote Sonoran desert canyon of cactus gardens and copper-colored walls.

raftkayak Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Oct–Dec
Salt River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 250 1k 2.5k 4k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Salt River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Globe gauge, the Salt River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Oct–Dec. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past April days at this gauge ran above 993 CFS; the July median is 157 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 215
February 397
March 931
April 993
May 504
June 179
July 157
August 272
September 212
October 171
November 180
December 187

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1924 — 101 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 47,400 CFS, in January 1993. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Arizona float rivers

Common questions

When is the Salt River usually at its fullest?

At the Globe gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 993 CFS). The leanest months are usually Oct–Dec.

What is a typical summer flow on the Salt River?

The July median at this gauge is about 157 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.

Is the Salt River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 101 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 09497500 (SALT RIVER NEAR CHRYSOTILE, AZ), chosen because it best represents the Upper Salt River Canyon below the US 60 bridge. Daily records here reach back to 1924.

Data: USGS gauge 09497500, approved daily records 1924–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.