Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai water level

Name: Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai 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, Hanalei River, Hawaii, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

-0.02ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:55 AM HST (21 min ago)

Flow: 177 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai is at −0.02 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.02 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between −0.20 ft and 0.82 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

Floating and fishing near Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai

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

Flood stage here is 5.00 ft, 5.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

5.00 ft: Kuhio Hwy inundated. Flooding starts at the "bamboo patch" then increasingly covers the highway toward the Hanalei Bridge to the east, and Hanalei town to the west.
−0.02 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.86 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 79° 70° 0.55 in, 100% Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 76° 70° 0.94 in, 100% Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 77° 69° 0.55 in, 100% Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 78° 70° 0.31 in, 97% Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 77° 69° 0.26 in, 79% Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 79° 66° 0.11 in, 83% Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 81° 66° 0.09 in, 62% Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:37 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 33 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Hanalei River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hanalei River at Hwy 56 Bridge near Hanalei, KauaiRiver gauge, Hanalei River	6.84 ft	Normal	±0	2.2 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Halaulani Str at alt 400 ft near Kilauea, KauaiRiver gauge, Halaulani Str	0.86 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.1 mi
Ka Loko Reservoir near Kilauea, KauaiReservoir, Ka Loko Reservoir	19.76 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	5.6 mi
Wainiha River near Hanalei, KauaiRiver gauge, Wainiha River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
EB of NF Wailua River near Lihue, KauaiRiver gauge, EB of NF Wailua River	0.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Hanakapiai Stream above Hanakapiai Falls, KauaiRiver gauge, Hanakapiai Stream	1.58 ft	High	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Left Branch Opaekaa Str near Kapaa, KauaiRiver gauge, Left Branch Opaekaa Str	0.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Waialae Str at alt 3,820 ft near Waimea, KauaiRiver gauge, Waialae Str	1.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	9 mi
Kawaikoi Stream near Waimea, KauaiRiver gauge, Kawaikoi Stream	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 5.02 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 Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:55 AM HST, the water level was −0.02 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai normal?

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

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:16103000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 22.17958, -159.46639 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: LMSL
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	−0.02 ft	2026-10-20 19:55	Provisional
Flow	177 cfs	2026-10-20 19:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hanalei River near Hanalei, Kauai (usgs:16103000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/hawaii/hanalei-river-near-hanalei-kauai

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