Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar water level

Name: Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar 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, Muddy River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

13.76ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM PDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 103 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar: the gauge reads 13.76 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.70 ft below the median of 15.46 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 15.23 ft (−1.47 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 13.75 ft – 14.03 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 15.46 ft1.70 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 14.49 ft – 16.68 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 15.23 ft−1.47 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 13.75 ft – 14.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 13.76 ft – 21.67 ft
Highest on record: 26.75 ftJanuary 9, 1990

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.75 ft	January 9, 1990
2	26.58 ft	January 31, 1995
3	26.20 ft	December 9, 1987
4	25.95 ft	April 5, 1991
5	24.89 ft	December 27, 1994
6	24.32 ft	December 4, 1989
7	24.28 ft	November 17, 1983
8	24.19 ft	February 19, 1995
9	24.10 ft	December 20, 1994
10	24.10 ft	January 19, 1986

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 62° 47° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 72° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 76° 49° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 63° 41° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 54° 39° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 65° 38° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 50° 42° 0.05 in, 46% Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 59%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lewis River above Muddy River near CougarRiver gauge, Lewis River	161 cfs	Very low	−3.0 cfs	1.3 mi
Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam near CougarReservoir, Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam	958.00 ft	Normal	−1.00 ft	6 mi
Yale Reservoir near CougarReservoir, Yale Reservoir	473.00 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Speelyai Creek near CougarRiver gauge, Speelyai Creek	1.4 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	17 mi
Canyon Creek near AmboyRiver gauge, Canyon Creek	24.0 cfs	Low	−0.7 cfs	18 mi
Lake Merwin near ChelatchieLake, Lake Merwin	229.00 ft	Very low	±0	20 mi
Cispus River above Yellowjacket Creek near RandleRiver gauge, Cispus River	12.86 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	27 mi
Columbia River at StevensonRiver gauge, Columbia River	75.52 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar compare with last year?

It is 1.47 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 15.23 ft.

What is a normal level for the Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 15.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 14.49 ft and 16.68 ft, based on 26 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 Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM PDT, the water level was 13.76 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar?

The highest level on record is 26.75 ft on January 9, 1990.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14216500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.07563, -121.99868 (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	13.76 ft	2026-10-19 13:00	Provisional
Flow	103 cfs	2026-10-19 13:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Muddy River below Clear Creek near Cougar (usgs:14216500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/muddy-river-below-clear-creek-near-cougar

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