Salmon River at White Bird water level

Name: Salmon River at White Bird 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, Salmon River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

12.40ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 3,790 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.24 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 05:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Salmon River at White Bird is at 12.40 ft, in the normal range.

It is 19.60 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.24 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 05:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 12.40 ft and 12.51 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 52 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 37.50 ftJune 1, 1894
Forecast peak: 12.41 ftMonday, October 19 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Salmon River at White Bird

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

Flood stage here is 32.00 ft, 19.60 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft: Flooding threatens some homes and businesses. Many roads flooded and impassable.
33.00 ft: Flooding affects low lying areas adjacent to the river. Floooding threatens many secondary roads and comes close to inundating highway 95. Several thousand acres of low lying land are also flooded.
32.00 ft: Flooding threatens Route 95 near Whitebird.
12.40 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	37.50 ft	June 1, 1894
2	35.81 ft	June 17, 1974
3	33.05 ft	May 24, 1956
4	32.95 ft	June 3, 1948
5	32.56 ft	June 1, 1986
6	32.26 ft	May 18, 1997
7	32.23 ft	June 2, 1972
8	32.18 ft	June 12, 1965
9	31.56 ft	June 10, 1996
10	31.51 ft	May 21, 2006

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 70° 40° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 80° 51° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 72° 50° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 77° 50° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 54° 0.08 in, 77% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 56° 41° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 60° 37° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 05:54 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Salmon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salmon River below Yankee Fork near ClaytonRiver gauge, Salmon River	2.16 ft	Below flood stage	±0	129 mi
Salmon River at SalmonRiver gauge, Salmon River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	±0	124 mi
Salmon River near ShoupRiver gauge, Salmon River	1,550 cfs	Low	±0	96 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Salmon River at RigginsRiver gauge, Little Salmon River	2.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Sf Clearwater River at StitesRiver gauge, Sf Clearwater River	2.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	29 mi
SNAKE RIVER AT McDUFF RAPIDS AT CHINA GARDEN IDRiver gauge	12,600 cfs	Low	±0	33 mi
Lawyer Creek at KamiahRiver gauge, Lawyer Creek	9.0 cfs	Normal	±0	34 mi
Soldiers Meadow ReservoirReservoir	4,496.11 ft	Low		35 mi
Snake River near AnatoneRiver gauge, Snake River	3.29 ft	Low	±0	40 mi
Lake WahaLake	3,366.61 ft	Normal		40 mi
Lochsa River near LowellRiver gauge, Lochsa River	353 cfs	Low	−6.0 cfs	45 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Salmon River at White Bird?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 19.60 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 Salmon River at White Bird today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM PDT, the water level was 12.40 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Salmon River at White Bird rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Salmon River at White Bird normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Salmon River at White Bird?

The highest level on record is 37.50 ft on June 1, 1894.

Is Salmon River at White Bird expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.24 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 05:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13317000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.75028, -116.32389 (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	12.40 ft	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional
Flow	3,790 cfs	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salmon River at White Bird (usgs:13317000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/salmon-river-at-white-bird

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