Yakima River at Umtanum water level

Name: Yakima River at Umtanum 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

30.77ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM PDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 755 cfs

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 30.75 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Low water at Yakima River at Umtanum: the gauge reads 30.77 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 31.06 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.29 ft below typical. It is 4.73 ft below the flood stage of 35.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 30.48 ft, a difference of +0.29 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 30.75 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 30.77 ft – 31.16 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 31.06 ft0.29 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 30.57 ft – 31.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 30.48 ft+0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 30.77 ft – 31.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 30.50 ft – 36.57 ft
Highest on record: 41.10 ftNovember 15, 1906
Forecast peak: 30.81 ftSaturday, October 17 at 11:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 35.50 ft.

What happens at each level

39.00 ft: This will produce major flooding of residential and commercial areas, highways and pastures from Teanaway downstream to Ellensburg, especially in the town of Thorp.
38.00 ft: At this level, flooding of roads and pastures in the vicinity of the river will occur. The Ellensburg water supply pumphouse is threatened.
36.50 ft: There will be flooding in pastures along the river.
35.50 ft: At this level, there will be minor flooding in areas along the river from Teanaway to Ellensburg including Irene Rienhart Park in Ellensburg.
33.50 ft: At this stage, the river is near bankfull at Ellensburg. Lowland flooding is possible in the low areas along the river.
30.77 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	41.10 ft	November 15, 1906
2	38.98 ft	May 29, 1948
3	38.77 ft	February 9, 1996
4	37.93 ft	November 25, 1990
5	37.84 ft	January 8, 2009
6	37.63 ft	December 3, 1977
7	37.08 ft	November 23, 1959
8	36.89 ft	December 11, 2025
9	36.69 ft	January 17, 2011
10	36.50 ft	May 16, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Yakima River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yakima River above Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Yakima River	40.28 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Yakima River at MabtonRiver gauge, Yakima River	12.86 ft	Very high	−0.27 ft	49 mi
Yakima River at KionaRiver gauge, Yakima River	4.34 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	64 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ahtanum Creek at Union GapRiver gauge, Ahtanum Creek	2.73 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	23 mi
Crab Creek near BeverlyRiver gauge, Crab Creek	3.65 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	31 mi
Columbia River below Priest Rapids DamRiver gauge, Columbia River	5.98 ft	Very low	−0.31 ft	33 mi
American River near NileRiver gauge, American River	71.83 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	33 mi
Rimrock Lake and TietonReservoir	2,849.86 ft	Normal		34 mi
Rock Island Dam Pp North Hw near WenatcheeReservoir, Rock Island Dam Pp North Hw	611.76 ft	Low	−0.22 ft	38 mi
Rock Island Pp Tw Unit 1 near WenatcheeRiver gauge, Rock Island Pp Tw Unit 1	567.62 ft	High	±0	38 mi
Cle Elum LakeLake	2,122.66 ft	Low		38 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Yakima River at Umtanum higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.29 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 30.48 ft.

What is flood stage for the Yakima River at Umtanum?

The official flood stage is 35.50 ft. The level is currently 4.73 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 31.06 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 30.57 ft and 31.35 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 Umtanum today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 11:15 PM PDT, the water level was 30.77 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Yakima River at Umtanum rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Yakima River at Umtanum 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:12484500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.86263, -120.48007 (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	30.77 ft	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional
Flow	755 cfs	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yakima River at Umtanum (usgs:12484500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/yakima-river-at-umtanum

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