Cowlitz River at Packwood water level

Name: Cowlitz River at Packwood water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Cowlitz River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.85ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 PM PDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 268 cfs

History

7 days

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.23 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:34 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Low water at Cowlitz River at Packwood: the gauge reads 0.85 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.43 ft below the median of 2.28 ft for mid-October, based on 22 years of readings. It is 9.65 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.23 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM. The 30-day range is 0.81 ft – 0.96 ft.

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.28 ft1.43 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.23 ft – 4.11 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Highest on record: 14.59 ftNovember 6, 2006
Forecast peak: 1.23 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 10.50 ft.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause severe near record flooding from the upper reaches of the river downstream through Packwood...with dangerous inundation of residential and commercial areas...roads...and farms throughout the flood plain. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Cowlitz River Basin.
12.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause major flooding from the upper reaches of the river downstream through Packwood...with dangerous flooding of roads including US Highway 12...pasture lands...and farms throughout the flood plain. Flood waters will inundate some residential and commercial areas. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Cowlitz River Basin.
11.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause flooding from the upper reaches of the river downstream through Packwood...inundating roads...pasture lands...and some farms.
10.50 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause minor flooding from the upper reaches of the river downstream through Packwood...covering several roads along the river and nearby pasture lands.
10.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will spill over its banks into nearby low pasture lands from the upper reaches downstream through Packwood.
0.85 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 14 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.59 ft	November 6, 2006
2	13.73 ft	December 2, 1977
3	13.54 ft	November 23, 1959
4	13.23 ft	November 20, 1962
5	13.00 ft	December 21, 1933
6	12.80 ft	December 26, 1980
7	12.80 ft	December 4, 1975
8	12.48 ft	November 24, 1990
9	12.24 ft	December 10, 2025
10	11.98 ft	November 27, 1949

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 49° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 67° 42° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 61° 47° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 69° 48° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 75° 50° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 63° 45° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 64° 42° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Cowlitz River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cowlitz River at RandleRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	3.69 ft	Normal	±0	14 mi
Cowlitz River near KosmosRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	512 cfs	Very low	+67.0 cfs	23 mi
Cowlitz River below Mayfield DamRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	10.64 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	45 mi
Cowlitz River at Castle RockRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	33.65 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	63 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cispus River above Yellowjacket Creek near RandleRiver gauge, Cispus River	12.83 ft	Normal	±0	14 mi
Nisqually River near NationalRiver gauge, Nisqually River	4.16 ft	Normal	+0.09 ft	21 mi
Mineral Creek near MineralRiver gauge, Mineral Creek	18.9 cfs	Very low	±0	24 mi
Bumping Lake and Bumping LakeLake	3,398.20 ft	Low		25 mi
Puyallup River near ElectronRiver gauge, Puyallup River	3.34 ft	Normal	+0.14 ft	26 mi
Rimrock Lake and TietonReservoir	2,849.86 ft	Normal		26 mi
Huckleberry Creek near GreenwaterRiver gauge, Huckleberry Creek	24.8 cfs	Very low	±0	31 mi
Klickitat River above West Fork near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Klickitat River	1.04 ft	Normal	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cowlitz River at Packwood?

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 9.65 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cowlitz River at Packwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.23 ft and 4.11 ft, based on 22 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 Cowlitz River at Packwood today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 PM PDT, the water level was 0.85 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cowlitz River at Packwood rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cowlitz River at Packwood normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cowlitz River at Packwood?

The highest level on record is 14.59 ft on November 6, 2006.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14226500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.61286, -121.67923 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	0.85 ft	2026-10-17 23:00	Provisional
Flow	268 cfs	2026-10-17 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cowlitz River at Packwood (usgs:14226500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/cowlitz-river-at-packwood

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer