Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding water level

Name: Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding 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, Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek, Idaho, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

5.15ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 11.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 5.15 ft, the Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding is far below normal for mid-October.

The lowest reading on record is 0.00 ft (August 22, 2015).

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.13 ft and 5.15 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.92 ftMarch 16, 2017
Lowest on record: 0.00 ftAugust 22, 2015

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

16.80 ft: Minor flooding can be expected throughout the Potlatch River valley including portions of the Ed Corkill Memorial Trail. The Julietta baseball field and its concession stand may also experience minor flooding.
15.00 ft: Lowland flooding along portions of State Route 3 near Arrow Highland Road and along Railroad Street in Juliaetta.
5.15 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.92 ft	March 16, 2017
2	16.82 ft	March 26, 2012
3	16.77 ft	January 16, 2011
4	16.60 ft	April 9, 2019
5	15.09 ft	June 14, 2022
6	14.40 ft	February 10, 2015
7	13.76 ft	January 11, 2006
8	13.60 ft	January 13, 2021
9	13.40 ft	February 4, 2018
10	13.12 ft	March 3, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 76° 53° – Wind 22 mph

18 Sun 71° 49° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 69° 50° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 66° 48° – Wind 3 mph

21 Wed 67° 48° 0.00 in Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 61° 49° 0.14 in, 29% Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 64° 47° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 05:51 PM Daylight 10 hr, 38 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clearwater River at SpaldingRiver gauge, Clearwater River	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.7 mi
Lapwai Creek near LapwaiRiver gauge, Lapwai Creek	10.5 cfs	Normal	±0	5.4 mi
Mann Lake and Reservoir AReservoir	1,788.46 ft	Low		10 mi
Big Canyon Creek near PeckRiver gauge, Big Canyon Creek	4.5 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	16 mi
Clearwater River near PeckRiver gauge, Clearwater River	3,190 cfs	Normal	±0	18 mi
Asotin Creek at AsotinRiver gauge, Asotin Creek	1.66 ft	Lowest on record	±0	18 mi
Lake WahaLake	3,366.60 ft	Normal		20 mi
Soldiers Meadow ReservoirReservoir	4,496.03 ft	Low		23 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 Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 PM PDT, the water level was 5.15 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding normal?

Very 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 Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding?

The highest level on record is 16.92 ft on March 16, 2017. The lowest is 0.00 ft on August 22, 2015.

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:13341570 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.49861, -116.76194 (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	5.15 ft	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional
Flow	11.3 cfs	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/12598?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near Spalding (usgs:13341570). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/potlatch-river-bel-little-potlatch-creek-near-spalding

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