Yakima River at Kiona water level

Name: Yakima River at Kiona 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, Yakima River, Washington, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.37ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 02:30 PM PDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 1,970 cfs
Water temperature: 57 °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 4.06 ft by Monday, October 26 at 11:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 4.37 ft, the Yakima River at Kiona is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.43 ft below the median of 4.80 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 8.63 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.14 ft (−0.77 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.06 ft by Monday, October 26 at 11:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.61 ft and 4.39 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 57 °F.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.80 ft0.43 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.95 ft – 6.40 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.14 ft−0.77 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.61 ft – 4.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.74 ft – 16.08 ft
Highest on record: 21.57 ftDecember 23, 1933
Forecast peak: 4.35 ftSaturday, October 17 at 11:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 8.63 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: There will be flooding of in the RV Park in Benton City along the river. There will extensive flooding in the West Richland area from Twin Bridge to the Columbia River, including the West Richland Golf Course and along Kingston...Hyde and Jones roads.
16.00 ft: There will be flooding of in the RV Park in Benton City along the river. There will extensive flooding in the West Richland area from Twin Bridge to the Columbia River, including the West Richland Golf Course and along Kingston...Hyde and Jones roads.
14.50 ft: At this level, there will be moderate flooding of farmland, roads and some residential areas...especially in the West Richland area.
13.00 ft: There will be minor flooding of pastures and roads adjacent to the river...especially in low lying areas of West Richland.
4.37 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.57 ft	December 23, 1933
2	20.98 ft	February 11, 1996
3	18.65 ft	January 18, 1974
4	17.20 ft	May 31, 1948
5	16.52 ft	December 6, 1975
6	16.27 ft	December 28, 1980
7	16.16 ft	December 13, 2025
8	16.11 ft	December 4, 1977
9	15.88 ft	December 2, 1995
10	15.55 ft	January 11, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 71° 46° – Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 65° 44° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 65° 50° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 51° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 68° 48° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 70° 50° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 65° 47° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Yakima River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yakima River at UmtanumRiver gauge, Yakima River	30.79 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	64 mi
Yakima River above Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Yakima River	40.29 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	51 mi
Yakima River at MabtonRiver gauge, Yakima River	12.88 ft	Very high	−0.15 ft	25 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Umatilla River near UmatillaRiver gauge, Umatilla River	148 cfs	Normal	+3.0 cfs	25 mi
Cold Springs ReservoirReservoir	580.84 ft	Normal		31 mi
Columbia River below Priest Rapids DamRiver gauge, Columbia River	7.36 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	32 mi
Granger Drain at GrangerRiver gauge, Granger Drain	2.66 ft	High	+0.12 ft	34 mi
Scooteney Reservoir and DikesReservoir	916.87 ft	No reference yet		36 mi
Walla Walla River near TouchetRiver gauge, Walla Walla River	2.54 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	39 mi
Esquatzel Coulee at ConnellRiver gauge, Esquatzel Coulee	11.83 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	41 mi
Crab Creek near BeverlyRiver gauge, Crab Creek	3.63 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	43 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Yakima River at Kiona compare with last year?

It is 0.77 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.14 ft.

What is flood stage for the Yakima River at Kiona?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 8.63 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Yakima River at Kiona in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.95 ft and 6.40 ft, based on 26 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 Yakima River at Kiona today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 02:30 PM PDT, the water level was 4.37 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Yakima River at Kiona rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.63 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Yakima River at Kiona normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 26 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:12510500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.25347, -119.47808 (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	4.37 ft	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional
Flow	1,970 cfs	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional
Water temperature	57 °F	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yakima River at Kiona (usgs:12510500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/yakima-river-at-kiona

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