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Kootenai River at Leonia water level

River gauge, Kootenai River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

10.32ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
4,360 cfs
Water temperature
51 °F
10 20 30 Highest onrecord 34.60 ft Lowest on record 7.56 ft

History

111213ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 19111213ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
1214ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 191214ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
101520ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026101520ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Kootenai River at Leonia: the gauge reads 10.32 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 10.80 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.47 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 10.45 ft, a difference of −0.13 ft. The lowest reading on record is 7.56 ft (December 9, 1972).

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 51 °F.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
10.80 ft0.47 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
10.33 ft – 13.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year
10.45 ft−0.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
10.32 ft – 11.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
10.33 ft – 23.21 ft
Highest on record
34.60 ftJune 1, 1894
Lowest on record
7.56 ftDecember 9, 1972

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
134.60 ftJune 1, 1894
233.40 ftMay 28, 1948
331.60 ftJune 1, 1916
427.27 ftMay 30, 1971
525.06 ftFebruary 9, 1996
624.77 ftJuly 3, 2012
724.15 ftJanuary 16, 1974
822.60 ftMay 14, 2013
922.53 ftMay 16, 2011
1022.41 ftJune 11, 2010

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 67° 47° – Wind 7 mph
18 Sun 63° 43° – Wind 5 mph
19 Mon 64° 44° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 3 mph
21 Wed 71° 43° – Wind 3 mph
22 Thu 66° 48° 0.02 in Wind 3 mph
23 Fri 63° 44° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 05:49 PM Daylight 10 hr, 38 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Kootenai River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kootenai River below Libby Dam near Libby MTRiver gauge, Kootenai River 17.99 ft Below flood stage +0.14 ft 37 mi
Kootenai River at Bonners FerryRiver gauge, Kootenai River 45.24 ft Low ±0 13 mi
Kootenai River at PorthillRiver gauge, Kootenai River 43.99 ft Low +0.01 ft 34 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Yaak River near Troy MTRiver gauge, Yaak River 2.88 ft Below flood stage ±0 5.3 mi
Kootenai River Bel Moyie River near Bonners FerryRiver gauge, Kootenai River Bel Moyie River 4,960 cfs Normal −20.0 cfs 9 mi
Moyie River at EastportRiver gauge, Moyie River 3.31 ft Low ±0 27 mi
Lightning Creek at Clark ForkRiver gauge, Lightning Creek 7.81 ft Lowest on record −0.04 ft 33 mi
Boundary Creek near PorthillRiver gauge, Boundary Creek 22.0 cfs Low ±0 35 mi
Clark Fork River below Cabinet Gorge DamRiver gauge, Clark Fork River 16,300 cfs Very high +10,600 cfs 37 mi
Sullivan Creek near CanyonRiver gauge, Sullivan Creek 0.03 m Very low ±0 61 km

Questions and answers

Is the Kootenai River at Leonia higher than last year?

No, it is 0.13 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.45 ft.

What is a normal level for the Kootenai River at Leonia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 10.33 ft and 13.41 ft, based on 30 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 Kootenai River at Leonia today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM PDT, the water level was 10.32 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kootenai River at Leonia rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Kootenai River at Leonia normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kootenai River at Leonia?

The highest level on record is 34.60 ft on June 1, 1894. The lowest is 7.56 ft on December 9, 1972.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:12305000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
48.61688, -116.04919 (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 10.32 ft 2026-10-19 16:15 Provisional
Flow 4,360 cfs 2026-10-19 16:15 Provisional
Water temperature 51 °F 2026-10-19 16:15 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kootenai River at Leonia (usgs:12305000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/kootenai-river-at-leonia

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