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Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam water level

River gauge, Columbia River, Washington, United States

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

6.03ft Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
37,200 cfs
0 13 25 38 Highest onrecord 38.23 ft Minor floodstage 32.00 ft Lowest on record 1.00 ft

History

History
1015ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 271015ftOct 12Oct 19Oct 27
1015ftSep 19Sep 28Oct 8Oct 17Oct 271015ftSep 19Oct 8Oct 27
102030ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage102030ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.25 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 6.03 ft, the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 4.31 ft below the median of 10.34 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 25.97 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 9.53 ft (−3.50 ft).

The level is falling, down 1.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.25 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.93 ft and 12.30 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
10.34 ft4.31 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
9.16 ft – 13.66 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
9.53 ft−3.50 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.93 ft – 12.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
6.02 ft – 21.53 ft
Highest on record
38.23 ftJune 22, 2017
Lowest on record
1.00 ftFebruary 10, 1932
Forecast peak
9.25 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 32.00 ft, still 25.97 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft
Minor flooding is possible from Priest Rapids Dam downstream to Richland.
6.03 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
138.23 ftJune 22, 2017
234.53 ftApril 22, 2016
333.97 ftJune 12, 1997
433.11 ftJune 15, 1972
532.04 ftFebruary 24, 2015
631.67 ftJune 27, 2012
731.20 ftMay 14, 2018
830.75 ftJune 5, 2011
929.84 ftJune 27, 2022
1029.61 ftFebruary 27, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 67° 48° – Wind 7 mph
19 Mon 69° 52° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 69° 51° – Wind 9 mph
21 Wed 70° 47° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 74° 51° – Wind 16 mph
23 Fri 65° 46° – Wind 15 mph
24 Sat 62° 43° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Columbia River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Columbia River at The DallesRiver gauge, Columbia River 87,200 cfs Low −18,800.0 cfs 95 mi
Columbia River at StevensonRiver gauge, Columbia River 75.67 ft High −0.65 ft 115 mi
Columbia River below Bonneville DamRiver gauge, Columbia River 6.73 ft Very low −0.33 ft 122 mi
Columbia River at VancouverTidal gauge, Columbia River −0.22 ft Very low −0.32 ft 151 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Crab Creek near BeverlyRiver gauge, Crab Creek 3.70 ft Normal +0.07 ft 14 mi
Granger Drain at GrangerRiver gauge, Granger Drain 2.69 ft High +0.16 ft 25 mi
Yakima River at MabtonRiver gauge, Yakima River 12.80 ft Very high −0.02 ft 28 mi
Yakima River above Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Yakima River 40.27 ft Very high −0.03 ft 29 mi
Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Ahtanum Creek 2.71 ft Very low −0.01 ft 30 mi
Yakima River at KionaRiver gauge, Yakima River 4.34 ft Low −0.03 ft 32 mi
Yakima River at UmtanumRiver gauge, Yakima River 30.75 ft Low −0.07 ft 33 mi
Potholes Reservoir and O'SullivanReservoir 1,032.45 ft High 37 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam compare with last year?

It is 3.50 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.53 ft.

What is flood stage for the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 25.97 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.34 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.16 ft and 13.66 ft, based on 33 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:15 AM PDT, the water level was 6.03 ft. Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam rising or falling?

Down 1.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:12472800 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.62871, -119.86474 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 6.03 ft 2026-10-18 14:15 Provisional
Flow 37,200 cfs 2026-10-18 14:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam (usgs:12472800). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/columbia-river-below-priest-rapids-dam

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.