Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez water level

Name: Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez 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, Lowe River, Alaska, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.22ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:30 AM AKDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 1,170 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez is at 4.22 ft, in the normal range.

It is 9.78 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has risen 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 9.78 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 3.71 ft and 4.51 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: 13.50 ftAugust 29, 2017

Floating and fishing near Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez

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

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 9.78 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: This water level has roughly a 4 percent chance of being reached in any given year.
14.00 ft: This water level has roughly a 10 percent chance of being reached in any given year.
11.00 ft: This water level is higher than the typical summertime high water levels, and has roughly a 50 percent chance of being reached in any given year.
10.00 ft: Emergency Managers begin monitoring levees in the Apline Woods (Whispering Spruce) subdivision.
4.22 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.50 ft	August 29, 2017
2	12.62 ft	June 19, 2018
3	11.58 ft	August 7, 2016
4	11.44 ft	August 18, 2015
5	10.73 ft	June 28, 2019
6	10.45 ft	September 1, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.84 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 37° 29° 1.47 in, 100% Wind 4 mph

21 Wed 33° 23° 0.05 in, 84% Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 24° 10° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 25° 8° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 28° 12° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 34° 20° 0.02 in, 51% Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 37° 23° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:42 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 9 hr, 34 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Lowe River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lowe River at Rudleston Falls near ValdezRiver gauge, Lowe River	374.46 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	1.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Robe River near ValdezRiver gauge, Robe River	32.92 ft	No reference yet	+0.24 ft	10 mi
Valdez Glacier River at Valdez Glacier Lake near ValdezRiver gauge, Valdez Glacier River	744 cfs	Normal	+75.0 cfs	11 mi
Mineral Creek near ValdezRiver gauge, Mineral Creek	28.21 ft	No reference yet	−0.17 ft	16 mi
Wf Olsen Bay Creek near CordovaRiver gauge, Wf Olsen Bay Creek	80.2 cfs	Very high	−41.8 cfs	23 mi
Glacier R Tributary near CordovaRiver gauge, Glacier R Tributary	58.7 cfs	High	+34.3 cfs	41 mi
Sheridan River near CordovaRiver gauge, Sheridan River	40.66 ft	No reference yet	+0.29 ft	44 mi
Copper River at Million Dollar Bridge near CordovaRiver gauge, Copper River	60,100 cfs	High	+9,900 cfs	48 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 9.78 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 Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:30 AM AKDT, the water level was 4.22 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez?

The highest level on record is 13.50 ft on August 29, 2017.

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:15226620 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 61.06708, -145.90611 (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	4.22 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	1,170 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lowe River above Horsetail Falls near Valdez (usgs:15226620). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alaska/lowe-river-above-horsetail-falls-near-valdez

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