Palouse River near Potlatch water level

Name: Palouse River near Potlatch 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, Palouse River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 AM PDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 8.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:13 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Palouse River near Potlatch, where the gauge shows 5.18 ft.

It is 9.82 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. The 30-day range is 5.12 ft – 5.18 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.15 ftFebruary 9, 1996
Lowest on record: 4.56 ftAugust 20, 2021
Forecast peak: 5.17 ftSunday, October 18 at 11:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Equivalent to the February 1996 flood. Flooding of homes and businesses on Main Street in Palouse, WA can be expected, several feet deep in some areas. Flood waters will be about 5 feet deep in Hayton Green Park in Palouse, WA. Riverfront homes on Almota Road and Shady Lane near downtown in Palouse, WA may also be flooded. Low-lying homes near the river in Potlatch, ID are likely to be flooded.
19.00 ft: Major widespread flooding between Potlatch Idaho and Palouse Washington can be expected.
18.00 ft: Flooding on the properties near the river along Main Street in the city of Palouse, including several residences near the Lions Club Park.
17.50 ft: Water will be over Flannigan Creek Road and in Potlatch Tree Farm in Potlatch Idaho.
17.20 ft: Basement flooding in buildings along the river in downtown Palouse. Water increasing around homes near Hayton Green Park in Palouse. Extensive field flooding between Palouse and Potlatch with inundation on Glenwood Road, Wellesley Road, and S River Road. Flooding similar to February 2025.
17.00 ft: Widespread extensive lowland and field flooding between Potlatch Junction Idaho and Palouse Washington, including near portions of Highway 272 near Palouse, and west to Tidwell Road and Highway 27.
16.50 ft: Water will be up to the back door at the city shop in Palouse. Water will approach the home on Main Street near Hayton Greene Park. Lions Club Park in Palouse will be submerged and water will be around the playground at the Hayton Greene Park.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding of the low lying areas between Potlatch Idaho and Palouse Washington will occur. Flooding will begin at the Lions Club Community Park and Hayton Greene Park in Palouse. South River Road will likely be flooded where it crosses the Palouse River at Wellesley Rd. The Potlatch softball and baseball fields will see ponding of water.
5.18 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	22.15 ft	February 9, 1996
2	21.08 ft	January 16, 1974
3	18.74 ft	June 14, 2022
4	18.32 ft	January 1, 1997
5	18.32 ft	February 19, 1982
6	18.29 ft	January 21, 1972
7	18.08 ft	February 20, 1968
8	17.74 ft	March 31, 2012
9	17.53 ft	March 16, 2017
10	17.31 ft	February 17, 1981

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 43° – Wind 21 mph

18 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 60° 43° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 64° 44° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 65° 44° 0.02 in Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 60° 44° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 58° 41° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 05:55 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Palouse River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Palouse River at HooperRiver gauge, Palouse River	3.21 ft	Very low	±0	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Palouse River at PullmanRiver gauge, South Fork Palouse River	0.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Hangman Creek at State Line Road near TekoaRiver gauge, Hangman Creek	1.0 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
St Maries River near SantaRiver gauge, St Maries River	40.3 cfs	Very low	−1.1 cfs	28 mi
Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near SpaldingRiver gauge, Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek	10.8 cfs	Very low	+0.5 cfs	30 mi
Clearwater River at SpaldingRiver gauge, Clearwater River	3.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	33 mi
St Joe River at Ramsdell near St MariesRiver gauge, St Joe River	383 cfs	Low	−5.0 cfs	33 mi
Lapwai Creek near LapwaiRiver gauge, Lapwai Creek	10.5 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	34 mi
Mann Lake and Reservoir AReservoir	1,788.66 ft	Normal		38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Palouse River near Potlatch?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.82 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 Palouse River near Potlatch today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:30 AM PDT, the water level was 5.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Palouse River near Potlatch rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Palouse River near Potlatch normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Palouse River near Potlatch?

The highest level on record is 22.15 ft on February 9, 1996. The lowest is 4.56 ft on August 20, 2021.

Is Palouse River near Potlatch expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13345000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.91528, -116.95111 (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	5.18 ft	2026-10-19 07:30	Provisional
Flow	8.2 cfs	2026-10-19 07:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Palouse River near Potlatch (usgs:13345000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/palouse-river-near-potlatch

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