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Payette River near Horseshoe Bend water level

River gauge, Payette River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
803 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.35 ft

History

History
2.83.0ftOct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 292.83.0ftOct 16Oct 23Oct 29
Water level Forecast

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 05:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:13 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 2.67 ft, the Payette River near Horseshoe Bend is below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 05:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.67 ft and 2.68 ft.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
16.35 ftDecember 23, 1964
Forecast peak
3.10 ftFriday, October 23 at 05:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

What happens at each level

14.90 ft
MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE JUST UPSTREAM FROM THE HORSESHOE BEND HYDROPOWER CANAL INTAKE. WATER WILL BE NEAR THE TOP OF THE HORSESHOE BEND LEVEE. IF THE LEVEE IS OVERTOPPED... FLOODING WILL OCCUR IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF TOWN BETWEEN THE CANAL AND THE RIVER...INCLUDING THE AREAS NEAR ADAMS STREET AND LOCUST STREET AND PORTIONS OF RIVER AVENUE.
13.70 ft
WATER WILL APPROACH THE TOP OF THE LEVEE BEHIND THE HIGH SCHOOL.
2.67 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
116.35 ftDecember 23, 1964
215.63 ftJune 2, 1997
314.73 ftJune 5, 2010
414.43 ftJune 27, 1971
514.05 ftDecember 23, 1956
613.96 ftJune 25, 1974
713.75 ftApril 27, 2012
813.55 ftJune 30, 1983
913.17 ftJune 8, 2017
1013.15 ftApril 9, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 73° 46° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 73° 53° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 77° 55° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 69° 54° 0.36 in, 86% Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 58° 45° 0.08 in, 87% Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 57° 39° – Wind 6 mph
25 Sun 63° 42° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 05:54 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Payette River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Payette River near EmmettRiver gauge, Payette River 1.84 ft Below flood stage −0.23 ft 12 mi
Payette River near LethaRiver gauge, Payette River 563 cfs Low −25.0 cfs 22 mi
Payette River near PayetteRiver gauge, Payette River 4.75 ft Below flood stage −0.10 ft 37 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Black Canyon ReservoirReservoir 2,490.44 ft Low 12 mi
Nf Payette River near BanksRiver gauge, Nf Payette River 242 cfs Low ±0 13 mi
Middle Fork Payette River near CrouchRiver gauge, Middle Fork Payette River 5.47 ft Below flood stage ±0 16 mi
Eagle Drain at EagleCanal gauge, Eagle Drain 13.0 cfs Normal ±0 19 mi
Boise River at Glenwood Bridge near BoiseRiver gauge, Boise River 212 cfs Low −3.0 cfs 20 mi
Boise River South Channel at EagleRiver gauge, Boise River South Channel 188 cfs Low ±0 20 mi
Mores Creek above Robie Creek near Arrowrock DamRiver gauge, Mores Creek 1.84 ft Below flood stage ±0 23 mi
North Middleton Drain Mill Slough at MiddletonRiver gauge, North Middleton Drain Mill Slough 24.3 cfs Normal −1.5 cfs 27 mi

Questions and answers

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 Payette River near Horseshoe Bend today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 AM PDT, the water level was 2.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Payette River near Horseshoe Bend rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Payette River near Horseshoe Bend normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Payette River near Horseshoe Bend?

The highest level on record is 16.35 ft on December 23, 1964.

Is Payette River near Horseshoe Bend expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.10 ft by Friday, October 23 at 05:00 PM.

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:13247500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.94333, -116.19667 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.67 ft 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional
Flow 803 cfs 2026-10-20 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Payette River near Horseshoe Bend (usgs:13247500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/payette-river-near-horseshoe-bend

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.