Arizona · Mesa, AZ
Salt River float season
Gauge 09502000 on the Lower Salt below Stewart Mountain Dam, Blue Point to Granite Reef. Metro Phoenix's summer institution, where thousands of tubes drift cold dam releases past saguaro-studded cliffs and the Salt River wild horses.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
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 Mesa gauge, the Salt River runs fullest Jun–Aug and leanest Nov–Jan. 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 July days at this gauge ran above 1,330 CFS; the November median is 9.4 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10 | |
| February | 12 | |
| March | 423 | |
| April | 820 | |
| May | 991 | |
| June | 1,275 | |
| July | 1,330 | |
| August | 1,210 | |
| September | 1,170 | |
| October | 365 | |
| November | 9.4 | |
| December | 10 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1941 — 85 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 54,000 CFS, in January 1979. 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
-
Colorado River
Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry backhaul float
Fullest: May–Jul
-
Salt River
Upper Salt River Canyon below the US 60 bridge
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Verde River
Camp Verde and Beasley Flat into the Wild & Scenic lower canyon
Fullest: Jan–Mar
-
Verde River
Verde River Greenway, TAPCO to Tuzigoot near Clarkdale and Cottonwood
Fullest: Jan–Mar
Common questions
When is the Salt River usually at its fullest?
At the Mesa gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jun–Aug, with the single highest monthly median in July (about 1,330 CFS). The leanest months are usually Nov–Jan.
What is a typical summer flow on the Salt River?
The July median at this gauge is about 1,330 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.
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 82 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 09502000 (SALT RIVER BLW STEWART MOUNTAIN DAM, AZ), chosen because it best represents the Lower Salt below Stewart Mountain Dam, Blue Point to Granite Reef. Daily records here reach back to 1941.
Data: USGS gauge 09502000, approved daily records 1941–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.