Payette River near Emmett water level

Name: Payette River near Emmett 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, Payette River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.68ft Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:00 AM PDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 560 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:13 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Payette River near Emmett, where the gauge shows 1.68 ft.

It is 8.82 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.47 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. The 30-day range is 1.44 ft – 2.37 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.10 ftDecember 23, 1964
Forecast peak: 2.30 ftFriday, October 23 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 10.50 ft.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Water will approach the top of the levee along Riverside Drive in Emmett. If the levee is breached, a large volume of water will flow down the canal which passes through Emmett, causing significant flooding in portions of Emmett. Water, about 1 foot deep will flow accoss portions of Highway 52 between Emmett and Montour. Extensive flooding of agricultural land and innundation of county roads near the river will occur.
14.00 ft: Water, about 1/2 foot deep, will flow over Highway 52 between Black Canyon Dam and Montour. Water will approach houses along Riverside Street in Emmett. Bridge access into the Emmett Sports Fields in Emmett will be flooded. Extensive flooding of agricutlural land will occur near Montour, Emmett and Letha.
13.00 ft: Extensive flooding of agricultural land will occur upstream and downstream from Emmett. Some county roads will be under water in the vicinity of Emmett, including Shale Rock Road. Railroad tracks between Emmett and Horseshoe Bend will be flooded. Water will begin flowing over Highway 52 between Black Canyon Dam and Montour. Bridge access into the Emmett Sports Fields near the river will be flooded.
12.00 ft: Moderate flooding of agricultural land will occur upstream and downstream from Emmett. Farmland and pasture near the river will be underwater near Montour and Letha and livestock should be moved to higher ground. Water will reach the level of Shale Rock Road and the railroad tracks near Montour.
11.50 ft: Some pasture and farmland near Montour will be under water and minor flooding will spread into agricultural land downstream from Emmett. Squaw Creek will backup and flood agricultural land near intersection of Highway 52 and Ola Road.
10.60 ft: Minor flooding of pasture and farmland will occur upstream from Black Canyon Dam near Montour.
1.68 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.10 ft	December 23, 1964
2	15.90 ft	January 1, 1997
3	13.45 ft	June 5, 2010
4	13.00 ft	May 1, 1938
5	12.90 ft	December 22, 1955
6	12.70 ft	June 1, 1943
7	12.70 ft	May 27, 1928
8	12.59 ft	April 9, 2019
9	12.50 ft	June 26, 1971
10	12.50 ft	April 24, 1936

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 52° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 79° 55° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 68° 54° 0.45 in, 85% Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 61° 47° 0.07 in, 85% Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 59° 40° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 62° 44° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 63° 46° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 05:55 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Payette River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Payette River near Horseshoe BendRiver gauge, Payette River	803 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
Payette River near LethaRiver gauge, Payette River	516 cfs	Low	+224 cfs	10 mi
Payette River near PayetteRiver gauge, Payette River	4.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	25 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Black Canyon ReservoirReservoir	2,490.44 ft	Low		0.3 mi
Eagle Drain at EagleCanal gauge, Eagle Drain	13.0 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
North Middleton Drain Mill Slough at MiddletonRiver gauge, North Middleton Drain Mill Slough	24.8 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	18 mi
South Middleton Drain at MiddletonRiver gauge, South Middleton Drain	39.0 cfs	Normal	−3.1 cfs	18 mi
Boise River South Channel at EagleRiver gauge, Boise River South Channel	194 cfs	Low	−3.0 cfs	18 mi
East Hartley above Backwater near CaldwellRiver gauge, East Hartley	22.2 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	20 mi
West Hartley Gulch near CaldwellRiver gauge, West Hartley Gulch	7.5 cfs	Normal	−2.2 cfs	20 mi
Mason Creek at CaldwellRiver gauge, Mason Creek	55.9 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Payette River near Emmett?

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 8.82 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 Payette River near Emmett today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:00 AM PDT, the water level was 1.68 ft. Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Payette River near Emmett rising or falling?

Down 0.47 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Payette River near Emmett normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Payette River near Emmett?

The highest level on record is 16.10 ft on December 23, 1964.

Is Payette River near Emmett expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.30 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:13249500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.93056, -116.44278 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.68 ft	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional
Flow	560 cfs	2026-10-20 11:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Payette River near Emmett (usgs:13249500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/payette-river-near-emmett

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