Around here
Around Lower Jefferson Ditch
Temperature from a 1980 federal survey. The record says nothing about access, ownership or current conditions.
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Thermal springs: NOAA NCEI (1980) · Public land: USGS PAD-US · Forest roads: USDA Forest Service MVUM · BLM routes and areas: Bureau of Land Management (simplified for web display)
About this river
Lower Jefferson Ditch is a 3.4 mile canal near Yellowstone Safari Company in Montana. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Jefferson River near Three Forks MT (site 06036650). The mapped line runs from 45.8520, -111.6283 to 45.8878, -111.6031. The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 8. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1979 to 2026
Lower Jefferson Ditch typically runs highest in June, at a median 4,195 cfs, and lowest in August, at 408 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 17,200 cfs, in 2011.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,100 | 885 to 1,360 |
| February | 1,120 | 930 to 1,410 |
| March | 1,370 | 1,100 to 1,720 |
| April | 1,970 | 1,505 to 2,630 |
| May | 2,870 | 2,040 to 4,540 |
| June | 4,195 | 2,535 to 7,440 |
| July | 1,100 | 524 to 1,840 |
| August | 408 | 217 to 920 |
| September | 704 | 417 to 1,245 |
| October | 1,320 | 981 to 1,840 |
| November | 1,400 | 1,165 to 1,700 |
| December | 1,150 | 939 to 1,400 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 47 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Jefferson River near Three Forks MT (site 06036650). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Lower Jefferson Ditch on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Lower Jefferson Ditch's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
