"Watching the River Flow" is a song by Bob Dylan. It was written and recorded during sessions in spring 1971 at Blue Rock Studios in New York City and produced by Leon Russell. The recording was issued as a single on June 3, 1971, backed with "Spanish is the Loving Tongue". It reached the Top 40 in a number of countries and No. 41 in the United States. It was included on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, released on November 17, 1971, and has appeared on various other Dylan compilation albums. Since 1987, Dylan has performed the composition often at his concerts. Critics have written that, in this song, Dylan sang about the temptation to withdraw from public life, and the problem of lack of inspiration.

The song has been covered by artists including the Earl Scruggs Revue, Steve Gibbons, Colin James, and Russell himself. In 2011, musician Ben Waters released a version featuring five past and present members of the Rolling Stones as part of a tribute album for former Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart.

Between 1967 and 1970, Dylan recorded and released four albums that incorporated country rock elements: John Wesley Harding,Nashville Skyline,Self Portrait, and New Morning; all four were produced by Bob Johnston. At some point during the New Morning sessions, Dylan apparently decided that he did not want to work with Johnston anymore. For his next recording session, Dylan asked Leon Russell, who had made a name for himself through his work with Joe Cocker, to help him find a new sound. Russell suggested that Dylan come record with him at Blue Rock Studios in New York City. It was the first time for Dylan to work with an independent producer, as opposed to an in-house Columbia one.

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