South Fork Palouse River at Pullman water level

Name: South Fork Palouse River at Pullman 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, South Fork Palouse River, Washington, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.89ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 12:15 PM PDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 4.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.79 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 PM. Issued Friday, October 16 at 08:54 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The South Fork Palouse River at Pullman is at 0.89 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.11 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.79 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 0.82 ft and 0.94 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.80 ftMarch 1, 1910
Forecast peak: 0.93 ftMonday, October 26 at 05:00 AM

Floating and fishing near South Fork Palouse River at Pullman

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 6.11 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Severe flooding of residential and business areas can be expected from Pullman downstream to Hooper.
9.00 ft: Water will be several feet deep on Main Street and inches deep on Grand Ave and other neighboring streets. Major flooding of businesses, homes, and roads along the river can be expected. Missouri Flat Creek will likely be out of its banks and flowing over Grand Ave, Stadium Way, and beginning to flood homes and businesses on Park Street. Paradise Cr and the river will approach homes and businesses on Professional Mall and Bleasner Drives. Equivalent to the February 1996 flood.
7.00 ft: Minor flooding in the residential and business areas along the river in and around Pullman can be expected. Ponding of water on portions of Grand Ave near Missouri Flat Creek. Flooding in portions of Spring Street Skate Park, the City Palyfields, and the Pullman RV Park.
6.50 ft: Water will be up to the bottom of the pedestrian bridge at Main and Pine Street. The low spot on Morton Street near Reaney Park will be flooded. Water will be up along the foundations of the older commercial buildings along Poplar Street near its intersection with State Street as well as the older buildings on Main Street bewteen Kamiaken and Paradise Streets. Flooding of pasture land downstream of Pullman.
4.50 ft: Minor flooding near the shoreline and bench at Riverfront Park in downtown Pullman.
0.89 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.80 ft	March 1, 1910
2	9.50 ft	February 26, 1948
3	9.46 ft	January 21, 1972
4	9.04 ft	February 9, 1996
5	8.83 ft	January 1, 1997
6	8.82 ft	March 14, 2026
7	8.25 ft	February 13, 1979
8	7.61 ft	February 23, 2025
9	7.11 ft	December 23, 1964
10	7.03 ft	March 10, 2017

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 62° 47° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 60° 47° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 61° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 65° 45° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 67° 48° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 52° 43° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 43%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Palouse River near PotlatchRiver gauge, Palouse River	5.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek near SpaldingRiver gauge, Potlatch River Bel Little Potlatch Creek	10.8 cfs	Low	±0	26 mi
Clearwater River at SpaldingRiver gauge, Clearwater River	3.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
Lapwai Creek near LapwaiRiver gauge, Lapwai Creek	10.5 cfs	Normal	±0	28 mi
Asotin Creek at AsotinRiver gauge, Asotin Creek	1.65 ft	Lowest on record	±0	28 mi
Mann Lake and Reservoir AReservoir	1,788.74 ft	Normal		29 mi
Hangman Creek at State Line Road near TekoaRiver gauge, Hangman Creek	1.0 cfs	Normal	±0	33 mi
Lake WahaLake	3,366.64 ft	Normal		40 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Palouse River at Pullman?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 6.11 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 South Fork Palouse River at Pullman today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 12:15 PM PDT, the water level was 0.89 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Palouse River at Pullman rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Palouse River at Pullman normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Palouse River at Pullman?

The highest level on record is 11.80 ft on March 1, 1910.

Is South Fork Palouse River at Pullman expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.79 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13348000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.73239, -117.18100 (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	0.89 ft	2026-10-17 19:15	Provisional
Flow	4.9 cfs	2026-10-17 19:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15241?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Palouse River at Pullman water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Palouse River at Pullman (usgs:13348000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/south-fork-palouse-river-at-pullman

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