Colville River at Kettle Falls water level
River gauge, Colville River, Washington, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 64.3 cfs
History
20252026
What this means
The Colville River at Kettle Falls is running far below normal at 5.23 ft.
That puts it 0.38 ft below the median of 5.61 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 5.37 ft (−0.14 ft). The lowest reading on record is 4.00 ft (February 4, 2022).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 5.18 ft and 5.28 ft.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 5.61 ft0.38 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 5.36 ft – 5.95 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 5.37 ft−0.14 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 5.18 ft – 5.28 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 4.86 ft – 6.39 ft
- Highest on record
- 10.17 ftApril 23, 1956
- Lowest on record
- 4.00 ftFebruary 4, 2022
Floating and fishing near Colville River at Kettle Falls
Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.17 ft | April 23, 1956 |
| 2 | 9.90 ft | March 23, 2017 |
| 3 | 9.84 ft | January 21, 1974 |
| 4 | 9.69 ft | April 21, 1952 |
| 5 | 9.47 ft | May 14, 1948 |
| 6 | 9.44 ft | April 28, 1997 |
| 7 | 9.38 ft | March 25, 1997 |
| 8 | 9.30 ft | April 14, 1951 |
| 9 | 9.04 ft | April 25, 1969 |
| 10 | 8.98 ft | May 29, 1998 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle River near LaurierRiver gauge, Kettle River | 2.71 ft | Normal | −0.01 ft | 28 mi |
| Big Sheep Creek near RosslandRiver gauge, Big Sheep Creek | 0.40 m | Normal | ±0 | 48 km |
| Pend Oreille River at IoneRiver gauge, Pend Oreille River | 2,031.57 ft | Normal | −0.03 ft | 31 mi |
| Pend Oreille River below Box Canyon near IoneRiver gauge, Pend Oreille River | 88.99 ft | Normal | +2.46 ft | 32 mi |
| Columbia River at International BoundaryRiver gauge, Columbia River | 95.29 ft | Very low | −2.23 ft | 34 mi |
| Granby River at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Granby River | 0.86 m | Normal | ±0 | 57 km |
| Pend Oreille River at CusickRiver gauge, Pend Oreille River | 2,033.38 ft | Normal | ±0 | 40 mi |
| Kettle River near FerryRiver gauge, Kettle River | 9.28 ft | Low | ±0 | 42 mi |
Questions and answers
How does the Colville River at Kettle Falls compare with last year?
It is 0.14 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.37 ft.
What is a normal level for the Colville River at Kettle Falls in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 5.61 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.36 ft and 5.95 ft, based on 29 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 Colville River at Kettle Falls today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 06:20 AM PDT, the water level was 5.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Colville River at Kettle Falls rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Colville River at Kettle Falls normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Colville River at Kettle Falls?
The highest level on record is 10.17 ft on April 23, 1956. The lowest is 4.00 ft on February 4, 2022.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:12409000(Agency page)- Coordinates
48.59435, -118.06249(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 | 5.23 ft | 2026-10-18 13:20 | Provisional |
| Flow | 64.3 cfs | 2026-10-18 13:20 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Colville River at Kettle Falls (usgs:12409000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/colville-river-at-kettle-falls
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