Salt River at Center
Missouri · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 05507800 — Salt River near Center, MO
Reading taken Jul 29, 12:00 AM UTC
High and likely stained — not a wading flow
At 5,080 CFS, this gauge is running 275% of normal for late July — above the 1,850 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 46 years of record (1980–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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12 months of flow at Center
Daily values from USGS gauge 05507800. Provisional data, subject to revision.
About Salt River at Center
This gauge sits on Salt River at Center, Missouri, immediately below Mark Twain Lake. Flow here is controlled by releases from the dam, so it can change by hundreds of CFS within an hour with no rain anywhere in the basin — check it before you go, not the day before.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 1,850 CFS for late July, from 46 years of record.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow at this gauge is set by releases from Mark Twain Lake. A full pool usually means more water is on its way down.
Salt River at Center — common questions
What is the current flow on Salt River at Center?
As of the last reading on this page, Salt River at Center was running 5,080 CFS at a gage height of 9.44 ft, or 275% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 05507800, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 1,850 CFS, calculated from 46 years of record (1980–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
Is Salt River at Center wadeable right now?
That depends on the reach and on your own judgement — riverlvl will not tell you the water is safe to stand in. What it will tell you is whether today's flow is unusually high or low for the date, against a seasonal median of 1,850 CFS, which is the single most useful input to that decision. On a dam tailwater like this one, the bigger risk is a sudden generation release, which can raise the river several feet with little warning.
How do releases from Mark Twain Lake affect this stretch?
Directly and quickly. When the dam generates or spills, flow at this gauge climbs — often within an hour, often by an order of magnitude. The reservoir level itself is tracked on lakelvl.com, and the link on this page goes straight to it, so you can see whether the pool is high enough that releases are likely.
Where does this data come from?
Flow and gage height are public-domain USGS data from gauge 05507800. riverlvl adds the seasonal comparison and plain-English summary; it is not an official source and does not issue warnings.