Arkansas · Mammoth Spring, AR

Spring River float season

Gauge 07069500 on the Dam 3 at Mammoth Spring down to Hardy. Mammoth Spring's constant nine-million-gallon-an-hour flow makes this the Ozarks' most dependable hot-weather float, complete with ledges, waterfalls, and a rowdy weekend scene at Hardy.

canoekayakraft Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Spring River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 400 1.5k 4k 6k
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 Spring River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Mammoth Spring gauge, the Spring River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Aug–Oct. 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 1,775 CFS; the October median is 450 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 1,060
February 1,300
March 1,620
April 1,775
May 1,550
June 958
July 664
August 519
September 465
October 450
November 544
December 822

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1936 — 90 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 112,000 CFS, in December 1983. 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 Arkansas float rivers

Common questions

When is the Spring River usually at its fullest?

At the Mammoth Spring gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 1,775 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Spring River?

The July median at this gauge is about 664 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 Spring 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 07069500 (Spring River at Imboden, AR), chosen because it best represents the Dam 3 at Mammoth Spring down to Hardy. Daily records here reach back to 1936.

Data: USGS gauge 07069500, approved daily records 1936–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.