How high is the Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID right now?

The Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID is currently flowing at 1,130 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 2.95 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 46th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 1.10 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 4.1 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 1,210 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 470 to 2,360 cfs.

Where is the Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID stream gauge located?

The Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Custer County, ID on the Big Lost River. USGS site number 13120500 (coordinates 43.9983, -114.0211).

Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID

USGS Site No: 13120500 • Big Lost River • Custer County, ID

Big Lost River at Howell Ranch near Chilly ID on the Big Lost River is currently at 1,130 cfs (Normal — 46th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 2.95 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

Downstream on Big Lost River ↓

Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir near Mackay ID

1,130

CFS Discharge

2.95

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	470
25th	Low threshold	744
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	1,210	Today: 1,130 cfs
75th	High threshold	1,630
95th	Very High threshold	2,360

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	1,220	—
May 27, 2026	1,140	—
May 26, 2026	1,050	—
May 25, 2026	859	—
May 24, 2026	693	—
May 23, 2026	596	—
May 22, 2026	587	—
May 21, 2026	591	—
May 20, 2026	607	—
May 19, 2026	661	—
May 18, 2026	754	—
May 17, 2026	883	—
May 16, 2026	1,030	—
May 15, 2026	1,190	—
Apr 20, 2026	283	—
Apr 19, 2026	288	—
Apr 18, 2026	288	—
Apr 17, 2026	294	—
Apr 16, 2026	341	—
Apr 15, 2026	350	—
Apr 14, 2026	364	—
Apr 13, 2026	398	—
Apr 12, 2026	432	—
Apr 11, 2026	426	—
Apr 10, 2026	387	—
Apr 9, 2026	353	—
Apr 8, 2026	332	—
Apr 7, 2026	307	—
Apr 6, 2026	289	—
Apr 5, 2026	289	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 13120500
State: ID
County: Custer County
Coordinates: 43.9983, -114.0211
Drainage Area: 440 mi²
Datum (ft): 6,626.3
HUC Code: 17040218

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 3.5 ft
Flood Stage: 4.1 ft

Currently 1.10 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 1,410 cfs

Jun 1, 2025
Min discharge: 61 cfs

Dec 20, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Nf Big Lost River at Wild Horse near Chilly ID
6.5 mi · 335 cfs

Normal
Thousand Springs Creek near Chilly ID
10.1 mi · 6 cfs

Normal
Warm Springs Creek Below Diversion near Mackay ID
11.1 mi · 18 cfs

Normal
Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir near Mackay ID
19.0 mi · 710 cfs

Normal
Lower Cedar Creek above Divs near Mackay ID
22.1 mi · 61 cfs

Normal