Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam water level

Name: Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam 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, Columbia River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

7.43ft Up 1.46 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 AM PDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 46,700 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.52 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 11:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:28 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 7.43 ft, the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 3.11 ft below the median of 10.54 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 24.57 ft below the flood stage of 32.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 9.11 ft (−1.68 ft).

The water is rising: up 1.46 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.52 ft by Tuesday, October 27 at 11:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.93 ft and 12.30 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 10.54 ft3.11 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 8.51 ft – 12.71 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 9.11 ft−1.68 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.93 ft – 12.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.02 ft – 21.53 ft
Highest on record: 38.23 ftJune 22, 2017
Lowest on record: 1.00 ftFebruary 10, 1932
Forecast peak: 9.52 ftTuesday, October 27 at 11:00 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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 32.00 ft, still 24.57 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: Minor flooding is possible from Priest Rapids Dam downstream to Richland.
7.43 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.23 ft	June 22, 2017
2	34.53 ft	April 22, 2016
3	33.97 ft	June 12, 1997
4	33.11 ft	June 15, 1972
5	32.04 ft	February 24, 2015
6	31.67 ft	June 27, 2012
7	31.20 ft	May 14, 2018
8	30.75 ft	June 5, 2011
9	29.84 ft	June 27, 2022
10	29.61 ft	February 27, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 43° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 67° 49° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 74° 52° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 68° 52° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 65° 50° – Wind 23 mph

23 Fri 62° 47° – Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 58° 40° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Columbia River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Columbia River at The DallesRiver gauge, Columbia River	74,500 cfs	Very low	−3,800.0 cfs	95 mi
Columbia River at StevensonRiver gauge, Columbia River	75.44 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	115 mi
Columbia River below Bonneville DamRiver gauge, Columbia River	6.62 ft	Very low	+0.26 ft	122 mi
Columbia River at VancouverTidal gauge, Columbia River	−0.36 ft	Very low	−0.87 ft	151 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Crab Creek near BeverlyRiver gauge, Crab Creek	3.79 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	14 mi
Granger Drain at GrangerRiver gauge, Granger Drain	2.73 ft	Very high	+0.04 ft	25 mi
Yakima River at MabtonRiver gauge, Yakima River	12.72 ft	Very high	−0.10 ft	28 mi
Yakima River above Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Yakima River	40.24 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	29 mi
Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Ahtanum Creek	2.72 ft	Very low	±0	30 mi
Yakima River at KionaRiver gauge, Yakima River	4.24 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	32 mi
Yakima River at UmtanumRiver gauge, Yakima River	30.70 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	33 mi
Potholes Reservoir and O'SullivanReservoir	1,032.67 ft	High		37 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam compare with last year?

It is 1.68 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9.11 ft.

What is flood stage for the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam?

The official flood stage is 32.00 ft. The level is currently 24.57 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.54 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 8.51 ft and 12.71 ft, based on 33 years of records.

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 Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:15 AM PDT, the water level was 7.43 ft. Up 1.46 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam rising or falling?

Up 1.46 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.49 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12472800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.62871, -119.86474 (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	7.43 ft	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional
Flow	46,700 cfs	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Columbia River below Priest Rapids Dam (usgs:12472800). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/columbia-river-below-priest-rapids-dam

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