Deschutes River near Rainier water level

Name: Deschutes River near Rainier 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, Deschutes River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.04ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 PM PDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 24.3 cfs

History

7 days

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.98 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Deschutes River near Rainier is running far below normal at 3.04 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.29 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.24 ft below typical. It is 7.96 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.98 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.03 ft and 3.04 ft.

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.29 ft0.24 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.05 ft – 3.92 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Highest on record: 17.01 ftJanuary 9, 1990
Forecast peak: 3.04 ftSunday, October 18 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Deschutes River near Rainier

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 7.96 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.50 ft: the Deschutes River will cause severe, near record flooding. Residences will be flooded with Tumwater valley deeply flooded. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Deschutes River Basin.
15.00 ft: the Deschutes River will cause major flooding...with swift and deep water flooding roads...farm lands...and the residential areas of Cougar Mountain...Driftwood Valley...Falling Horseshoe and areas downstream in the Tumwater Valley. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Deschutes River Basin.
13.50 ft: the Deschutes River will flood residential areas...especially Cougar Mountain...Driftwood Valley...and Falling Horseshoe. Downstream flooding will occur in areas of Tumwater Valley including the golf course. Many roads and farm lands will also be flooded.
11.00 ft: the Deschutes River will flood downstream in Tumwater Valley including the golf course. Minor flooding will also occur in several residential areas...mainly Cougar Mountain and Driftwood Valley. Many roads and farm lands will also be flooded.
9.00 ft: the Deschutes River locally spills over its banks into low fields and forested lands, mainly along Vail Cutoff Road and Reichel Road (east of the town of Vail).
3.04 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.01 ft	January 9, 1990
2	15.74 ft	February 8, 1996
3	15.68 ft	January 15, 1974
4	15.28 ft	January 21, 1972
5	14.29 ft	December 29, 1996
6	14.10 ft	January 8, 2009
7	13.76 ft	April 5, 1991
8	13.75 ft	December 3, 2007
9	13.55 ft	November 26, 1998
10	13.52 ft	February 9, 2017

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 58° 39° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 62° 45° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 3 mph

22 Thu 60° 42° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 57° 40° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 49° 41° 0.47 in, 44% Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Deschutes River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Deschutes River at East St Bridge at TumwaterRiver gauge, Deschutes River	24.49 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Deschutes River at Moody, near BiggsRiver gauge, Deschutes River	2.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	120 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Skookumchuck River below Bldy Run Creek near CentraliaRiver gauge, Skookumchuck River	325.99 ft	Highest on record	±0	5.3 mi
Skookumchuck River near VailRiver gauge, Skookumchuck River	16.0 cfs	Very low	+0.4 cfs	7 mi
Nisqually River at McKennaRiver gauge, Nisqually River	1.52 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Centralia Power Canal near McKennaCanal gauge, Centralia Power Canal	10.96 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	9 mi
Skookumchuck River near BucodaRiver gauge, Skookumchuck River	203.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Nf Newaukum River above Bear Creek near ForestRiver gauge, Nf Newaukum River	404.83 ft	High	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Nisqually River at La GrandeRiver gauge, Nisqually River	4.23 ft	High	±0	16 mi
Mashel River near La GrandeRiver gauge, Mashel River	1.82 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Deschutes River near Rainier?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.96 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Deschutes River near Rainier in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.29 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.05 ft and 3.92 ft, based on 22 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 Deschutes River near Rainier today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:45 PM PDT, the water level was 3.04 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Deschutes River near Rainier rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Deschutes River near Rainier normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Deschutes River near Rainier?

The highest level on record is 17.01 ft on January 9, 1990.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12079000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.85204, -122.66874 (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	3.04 ft	2026-10-18 19:45	Provisional
Flow	24.3 cfs	2026-10-18 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Deschutes River near Rainier (usgs:12079000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/deschutes-river-near-rainier

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