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Carbon River near Fairfax water level

River gauge, Carbon River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

5.63ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
97.4 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.93 ft Minor floodstage 13.50 ft

History

678ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27678ftOct 12Oct 19Oct 27
68ftSep 19Sep 28Oct 8Oct 17Oct 2768ftSep 19Oct 8Oct 27
581013ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage581013ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
581013ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026581013ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.29 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:29 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Carbon River near Fairfax is running far below normal at 5.63 ft.

The median for mid-October is 7.05 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.42 ft below typical. It is 7.87 ft below the flood stage of 13.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.69 ft, a difference of −1.06 ft.

It has risen 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.29 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.50 ft and 6.61 ft.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
7.05 ft1.42 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
6.02 ft – 7.93 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
6.69 ft−1.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.50 ft – 6.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.50 ft – 13.38 ft
Highest on record
16.93 ftNovember 6, 2006
Forecast peak
5.64 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Carbon River near Fairfax

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 13.50 ft, 7.87 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft
the Carbon River will cause major flooding. Swift and deep flood waters will inundate roads...including Carbon River Rd...Pioneer Way...and SR 162...and residential areas near Crocker and Orting. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Carbon River Basin.
13.50 ft
the Carbon River will flood the residential areas near Crocker and sections of the Carbon River Rd
12.00 ft
the Carbon River will locally spill out of its banks into nearby fields and over the Carbon River Rd...including inside Rainier National Park
5.63 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: 14 %.

RankLevelDate
116.93 ftNovember 6, 2006
216.15 ftDecember 9, 2025
315.85 ftFebruary 8, 1996
415.82 ftNovember 12, 2008
515.75 ftJanuary 7, 2009
615.00 ftNovember 28, 1995
714.84 ftDecember 9, 2015
814.65 ftDecember 10, 2025
914.57 ftOctober 31, 2015
1014.51 ftNovember 4, 2022

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 49%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
South Prairie Creek at South PrairieRiver gauge, South Prairie Creek 24.50 ft Low +0.01 ft 8 mi
Puyallup River near OrtingRiver gauge, Puyallup River 6.12 ft High −0.06 ft 8 mi
Puyallup River near ElectronRiver gauge, Puyallup River 3.24 ft Normal −0.06 ft 9 mi
White River near BuckleyRiver gauge, White River 800.07 ft Normal +0.03 ft 9 mi
White River Flume at BuckleyRiver gauge, White River Flume 20.3 cfs Normal −1.3 cfs 10 mi
White River above Boise Creek at BuckleyRiver gauge, White River 40.10 ft Normal +0.02 ft 10 mi
Clearwater River near BuckleyRiver gauge, Clearwater River 5.1 cfs Low ±0 13 mi
Puyallup River at AldertonRiver gauge, Puyallup River 438 cfs Low +18.0 cfs 14 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Carbon River near Fairfax higher than last year?

No, it is 1.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.69 ft.

What is flood stage for the Carbon River near Fairfax?

The official flood stage is 13.50 ft. The level is currently 7.87 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Carbon River near Fairfax in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.05 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.02 ft and 7.93 ft, based on 31 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 Carbon River near Fairfax today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 AM PDT, the water level was 5.63 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Carbon River near Fairfax rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Carbon River near Fairfax normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:12094000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
47.02788, -122.03261 (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 5.63 ft 2026-10-18 12:00 Provisional
Flow 97.4 cfs 2026-10-18 12:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Carbon River near Fairfax (usgs:12094000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/carbon-river-near-fairfax

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