Koyukuk River at Hughes water level

Name: Koyukuk River at Hughes 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, Koyukuk River, Alaska, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

46.38ft Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM AKDT (15 min ago)

Flow: 12,700 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Koyukuk River at Hughes is at 46.38 ft, in the normal range.

It is 17.62 ft below the flood stage of 64.00 ft.

It has risen 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 17.62 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 46.18 ft and 47.04 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 70.80 ftAugust 22, 1994

Floating and fishing near Koyukuk River at Hughes

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 64.00 ft, 17.62 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

70.00 ft: Major flood stage. Water enters water treatment plant. Door sill of clinic, washeteria.
69.00 ft: Floor of city office/post office begins to flood.
67.00 ft: Moderate flood stage. Water surrounds school and flooding of the school begins.
66.00 ft: Floor of generator.
64.50 ft: Water starts to go over tank farm berm.
64.00 ft: WATER BEGINS TO GO OVER TOP OF BANK. Minor flood stage.
46.38 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	70.80 ft	August 22, 1994
2	69.15 ft	May 9, 2026
3	65.02 ft	August 31, 2025
4	62.66 ft	May 18, 2005
5	62.55 ft	August 22, 2024
6	61.66 ft	June 13, 2023
7	60.03 ft	August 3, 2021
8	58.34 ft	August 3, 2003
9	57.33 ft	May 28, 2004
10	57.29 ft	May 18, 2006

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.08 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 20° 14° 0.02 in Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 19° 9° – Wind 3 mph

22 Thu 28° 18° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 28° 21° 0.09 in, 68% Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 37° 29° 0.46 in, 82% Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 37° 34° 0.09 in, 72% Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 38° 34° 0.51 in, 74% Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 09:31 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 9 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Koyukuk River at Hughes?

The official flood stage is 64.00 ft. The level is currently 17.62 ft below it.

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 Koyukuk River at Hughes today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:30 AM AKDT, the water level was 46.38 ft. Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Koyukuk River at Hughes rising or falling?

Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Koyukuk River at Hughes normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Koyukuk River at Hughes?

The highest level on record is 70.80 ft on August 22, 1994.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:15564900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 66.04698, -154.26106 (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	46.38 ft	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional
Flow	12,700 cfs	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Koyukuk River at Hughes (usgs:15564900). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alaska/koyukuk-river-at-hughes

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