Cowlitz River at Castle Rock water level

Name: Cowlitz River at Castle Rock 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 high for mid-October

Water level

33.66ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 09:30 PM PDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 3,960 cfs

History

7 days

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 33.63 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:34 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

High water at Cowlitz River at Castle Rock: the latest reading is 33.66 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.60 ft above the median of 32.06 ft for mid-October, based on 12 years of readings. It is 14.34 ft below the flood stage of 48.00 ft. The record high is 55.76 ft, set on February 8, 1996.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 33.63 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. The 30-day range is 33.65 ft – 33.67 ft.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 32.06 ft1.60 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 16.24 ft – 33.28 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Highest on record: 55.76 ftFebruary 8, 1996
Forecast peak: 33.68 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

What happens at each level

57.00 ft: expect widespread and major flooding of homes and property just upstream and downstream of Castle Rock. Impacts include major flooding of the fairgrounds area west of Castle Rock, numerous road closures, and possible overtopping or weakening of portions of the levee protecting Castle Rock, especially sections downstream of the highway bridge.
54.00 ft: expect widespread flooding of residential and business areas, especially west of the river in the Four Corners area and along Hwy 411. Also expect widespread flooding of agricultural land. Levees have historically been threatened of overtopping at this and higher levels.
51.00 ft: flooding of buildings and residential areas begins, especially west of the river along Hwy 411 and around Four Corners. Also expect widespread flooding of low-lying agricultural land.
48.00 ft: expect flooding of several roads and low-lying agricultural lands in areas not protected by levees.
33.66 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	55.76 ft	February 8, 1996
2	55.16 ft	November 30, 1995
3	54.70 ft	January 8, 2009
4	52.95 ft	May 18, 1980
5	52.45 ft	December 9, 2015
6	50.60 ft	January 9, 1990
7	50.04 ft	November 24, 1986
8	49.78 ft	November 7, 2006
9	49.46 ft	November 25, 1990
10	49.01 ft	January 7, 2022

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 66° 50° – Wind 8 mph

18 Sun 65° 43° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 62° 44° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 63° 42° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 62° 37° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 46%

Map

Other gauges on the Cowlitz River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cowlitz River at PackwoodRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	0.88 ft	Very low	−0.08 ft	63 mi
Cowlitz River at RandleRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	3.69 ft	Normal	±0	49 mi
Cowlitz River near KosmosRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	510 cfs	Very low	+47.0 cfs	41 mi
Cowlitz River below Mayfield DamRiver gauge, Cowlitz River	10.67 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver LakeRiver gauge, Toutle River	120.10 ft	High	+0.03 ft	5.4 mi
South Fork Chehalis River near WildwoodRiver gauge, South Fork Chehalis River	356.20 ft	High	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Columbia River at Port Westward, near QuincyTidal gauge, Columbia River	11,200 cfs	Very low	−52,200.0 cfs	14 mi
Nf Toutle River below Srs near Kid ValleyRiver gauge, Nf Toutle River	143 cfs	Very low	±0	17 mi
South Fork Newaukum River near OnalaskaRiver gauge, South Fork Newaukum River	533.57 ft	High	±0	23 mi
Newaukum River near ChehalisRiver gauge, Newaukum River	192.38 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Chehalis River near AdnaRiver gauge, Chehalis River	192.86 ft	High	±0	26 mi
Lewis River at ArielRiver gauge, Lewis River	2.45 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cowlitz River at Castle Rock?

The official flood stage is 48.00 ft. The level is currently 14.34 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 32.06 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 16.24 ft and 33.28 ft, based on 12 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 Castle Rock today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 09:30 PM PDT, the water level was 33.66 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cowlitz River at Castle Rock rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cowlitz River at Castle Rock normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 55.76 ft on February 8, 1996.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14243000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.27483, -122.91456 (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	33.66 ft	2026-10-18 04:30	Provisional
Flow	3,960 cfs	2026-10-18 04:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cowlitz River at Castle Rock (usgs:14243000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/cowlitz-river-at-castle-rock

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