SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai water level

Name: SF Wailua River near Lihue, 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, SF Wailua River, Hawaii, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

10.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 PM HST (46 min ago)

Flow: 2,330 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai is at 10.67 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.33 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 10.66 ft and 10.68 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 SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai

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

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 4.33 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: Flows at or above a stage of 15 ft may be an indirect indicator of flooding along the lower reaches of Wailua River that can impact the Fern Grotto tourist attraction, and boating/kayaking operations. Inundation may occur at the marina near the river mouth.
10.67 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.37 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 80° 71° 0.20 in, 100% Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 77° 71° 0.44 in, 100% Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 78° 71° 0.43 in, 100% Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 79° 72° 0.23 in, 97% Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 78° 70° 0.22 in, 79% Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 79° 66° 0.15 in, 83% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 79° 65° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:37 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 32 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Left Branch Opaekaa Str near Kapaa, KauaiRiver gauge, Left Branch Opaekaa Str	0.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	2.9 mi
EB of NF Wailua River near Lihue, KauaiRiver gauge, EB of NF Wailua River	0.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	3.2 mi
Ka Loko Reservoir near Kilauea, KauaiReservoir, Ka Loko Reservoir	19.76 ft	Very high	+0.02 ft	10 mi
Halaulani Str at alt 400 ft near Kilauea, KauaiRiver gauge, Halaulani Str	0.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	10 mi
Right Branch Lawai Stream near Umauma Rd, KauaiRiver gauge, Right Branch Lawai Stream	2.9 cfs	High	±0	10 mi
Hanalei River near Hanalei, KauaiRiver gauge, Hanalei River	−0.11 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	11 mi
Hanapepe River below Manuahi Str near Eleele, KauaiRiver gauge, Hanapepe River	1.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	12 mi
Waialae Str at alt 3,820 ft near Waimea, KauaiRiver gauge, Waialae Str	1.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 4.33 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 SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 PM HST, the water level was 10.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai rising or falling?

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

Is the level of SF Wailua River near Lihue, 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:16060000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 22.03669, -159.38017 (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	10.67 ft	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Flow	2,330 cfs	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: SF Wailua River near Lihue, Kauai (usgs:16060000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/hawaii/sf-wailua-river-near-lihue-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