Around here
Around Cottonwood Creek
Temperature from a 1980 federal survey. The record says nothing about access, ownership or current conditions.
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USDA Forest Service · 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
Cottonwood Creek is a 22.2 mile river. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Cottonwood C near Cottonwood CA (site 11376000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1941 to 2026
Cottonwood Creek typically runs highest in February, at a median 1,150 cfs, and lowest in August, at 61 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 54,300 cfs, in 1974.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 785 | 217 to 2,250 |
| February | 1,150 | 488 to 2,710 |
| March | 1,140 | 563 to 2,160 |
| April | 740 | 457 to 1,590 |
| May | 426 | 294 to 798 |
| June | 197 | 148 to 368 |
| July | 81 | 57 to 143 |
| August | 61 | 48 to 81 |
| September | 66 | 55 to 83 |
| October | 85 | 66 to 118 |
| November | 114 | 72 to 236 |
| December | 284 | 117 to 1,160 |
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 85 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Cottonwood C near Cottonwood CA (site 11376000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Cottonwood Creek 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 Cottonwood Creek'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.
