Cowlitz River at Randle water level

Name: Cowlitz River at Randle 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.69ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 13, 2026, 02:30 AM PDT (4 days ago)

Flow: 382 cfs

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.94 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

Water levels are unremarkable at Cowlitz River at Randle, where the gauge shows 3.69 ft.

That puts it 0.34 ft below the median of 4.03 ft for mid-October, based on 16 years of readings. It is 14.31 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.94 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM.

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.03 ft0.34 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.96 ft – 5.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Highest on record: 25.24 ftNovember 7, 2006
Forecast peak: 3.94 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause major flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...with dangerous inundation of many roads including US Highway 12...residential and commercial areas...and farms. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Cowlitz River Basin.
20.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...inundating many roads including US Highway 12 and much of the farm lands.
18.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will cause minor flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...covering nearby farm lands and several roads.
15.00 ft: the Cowlitz River will spill into low fields along river from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...with shallow water over a few roads.
3.69 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: 27 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.24 ft	November 7, 2006
2	24.90 ft	February 9, 1996
3	24.17 ft	December 11, 2025
4	24.11 ft	December 9, 2015
5	23.58 ft	November 30, 1995
6	22.85 ft	January 7, 2009
7	22.49 ft	January 31, 2003
8	22.43 ft	January 17, 2011
9	22.28 ft	November 13, 2021
10	22.13 ft	November 12, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 61° 46° 0.10 in, 64% Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 64° 43° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 60° 44° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 43° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 73° 46° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 60° 44° 0.01 in, 32% Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 51° 38° 0.05 in, 25% Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Cowlitz River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cowlitz River at PackwoodRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	0.83 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	14 mi
Cowlitz River near KosmosRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	486 cfs	Very low	+42.0 cfs	9 mi
Cowlitz River below Mayfield DamRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	10.65 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	31 mi
Cowlitz River at Castle RockRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	33.66 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cispus River above Yellowjacket Creek near RandleRiver gauge, Cispus River	12.84 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Nisqually River near NationalRiver gauge, Nisqually River	4.18 ft	Normal	+0.09 ft	16 mi
Mineral Creek near MineralRiver gauge, Mineral Creek	18.9 cfs	Very low	±0	17 mi
Tilton River above Bear Canyon Creek near CinebarRiver gauge, Tilton River	2.23 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Puyallup River near ElectronRiver gauge, Puyallup River	3.38 ft	Normal	+0.16 ft	26 mi
Nisqually River at La GrandeRiver gauge, Nisqually River	4.24 ft	High	±0	28 mi
Mashel River near La GrandeRiver gauge, Mashel River	1.80 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Ohop Creek near EatonvilleRiver gauge, Ohop Creek	1.61 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cowlitz River at Randle?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 14.31 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 4.03 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.96 ft and 5.76 ft, based on 16 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 Randle today?

On Oct 13, 2026, 02:30 AM PDT, the water level was 3.69 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cowlitz River at Randle rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cowlitz River at Randle normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 25.24 ft on November 7, 2006.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14231000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.53194, -121.95694 (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	3.69 ft	2026-10-13 09:30	Provisional
Flow	382 cfs	2026-10-13 09:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cowlitz River at Randle (usgs:14231000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/cowlitz-river-at-randle

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