Cedar River at Renton water level

Name: Cedar River at Renton 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, Cedar River, Washington, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

8.59ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 01:15 PM PDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 327 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

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 fall to 8.48 ft by Monday, October 26 at 05:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:27 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Cedar River at Renton is at 8.59 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 8.38 ft, based on 34 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.21 ft above typical. It is 4.41 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 8.10 ft, a difference of +0.49 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 8.48 ft by Monday, October 26 at 05:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 8.15 ft and 8.59 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 54 °F.

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 8.38 ft0.21 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7.89 ft – 9.72 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 8.10 ft+0.49 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 8.15 ft – 8.59 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7.90 ft – 16.99 ft
Highest on record: 17.13 ftNovember 24, 1990
Forecast peak: 8.58 ftSaturday, October 17 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Cedar River at Renton

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 4.41 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: the Cedar River will cause major flooding in Renton, especially at the Renton Airport. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters, tributaries, and other streams within and near the Cedar River Basin.
14.50 ft: the Cedar River will flood areas of Renton including the Renton Airport.
13.00 ft: the Cedar River will cause minor flooding along the river in Renton.
11.30 ft: the Cedar River will locally overflow its banks, causing some areas of standing water, especially upstream of Maple Valley in the Dorre Don area.
8.59 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.13 ft	November 24, 1990
2	16.27 ft	January 8, 2009
3	16.04 ft	November 30, 1995
4	16.00 ft	February 9, 1996
5	14.14 ft	December 4, 1975
6	13.41 ft	January 18, 2011
7	13.40 ft	December 9, 2015
8	13.34 ft	January 9, 1990
9	13.23 ft	November 24, 1986
10	13.19 ft	November 7, 2006

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 59° 50° 0.48 in, 55% Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 60° 43° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 61° 46° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 61° 46° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 65° 46° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 63° 48° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 59° 45° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Cedar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cedar River below Bear Creek near Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	0.89 ft	Very low	±0	32 mi
Cedar River near Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	2.26 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	28 mi
Cedar River at Powerplant at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	31.46 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	20 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River	6.09 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	20 mi
Cedar River near LandsburgRiver gauge, Cedar River	1.34 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	13 mi
Cedar River below Diversion near LandsburgRiver gauge, Cedar River	3.11 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Springbrook Creek at OrilliaRiver gauge, Springbrook Creek	16.92 ft	High	+0.04 ft	3.7 mi
Mill Creek near Mouth at OrilliaRiver gauge, Mill Creek	14.96 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	4.1 mi
Green River at 200th Street at KentRiver gauge, Green River	411 cfs	Low	+6.0 cfs	5.0 mi
Mill Creek at Earthworks Park at KentRiver gauge, Mill Creek	46.39 ft	High	±0	7 mi
Sammamish Lake near RedmondLake, Sammamish Lake	25.97 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	8 mi
Green River below Meeker St at KentRiver gauge, Green River	18.94 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Issaquah Creek near Mouth near IssaquahRiver gauge, Issaquah Creek	3.84 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	9 mi
Green River above S 277th St at KentRiver gauge, Green River	37.58 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Cedar River at Renton higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.49 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 8.10 ft.

What is flood stage for the Cedar River at Renton?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 4.41 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cedar River at Renton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 8.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.89 ft and 9.72 ft, based on 34 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 Cedar River at Renton today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 01:15 PM PDT, the water level was 8.59 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cedar River at Renton rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Cedar River at Renton normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 34 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:12119000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.48260, -122.20345 (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	8.59 ft	2026-10-17 20:15	Provisional
Flow	327 cfs	2026-10-17 20:15	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-17 20:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cedar River at Renton (usgs:12119000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/cedar-river-at-renton

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