Yakima River level at Ellensburg
Washington · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 12484500 — YAKIMA RIVER AT UMTANUM, WA · NWS forecast point UMTW1
Reading taken · as of 1 hour ago
Running thin — a slow, scrapey float
At 998 CFS, this gauge is in the lowest quarter of the 92 years USGS has recorded for this date (1934–2026), at 66% of the 1,510 CFS median. The stage is 2.5 ft below the NWS action stage of 33.5 ft.
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Flood stages at Ellensburg
National Weather Service categories for gauge UMTW1, WFO PDT. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 39.0 ft · 28,000 CFS
- 39.0 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.
-
Moderate flood 38.0 ft · 22,600 CFS
- 38.0 ft At this level, flooding of roads and pastures in the vicinity of the river will occur. The Ellensburg water supply pumphouse is threatened.
-
Minor flood 35.5 ft · 12,000 CFS
- 35.5 ft At this level, there will be minor flooding in areas along the river from Teanaway to Ellensburg including Irene Rienhart Park in Ellensburg.
- 36.5 ft There will be flooding in pastures along the river.
-
Action 33.5 ft · 5,700 CFS
- 33.5 ft At this stage, the river is near bankfull at Ellensburg. Lowland flooding is possible in the low areas along the river.
- Right now 31.01 ft
NWS forecast: 31.01 ft by .
Flow history at Ellensburg
Daily values from USGS 12484500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for UMTW1 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Ellensburg
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 41.10 ft | 41,000 CFS | Nov 15, 1906 |
| 38.98 ft | 27,800 CFS | May 29, 1948 |
| 38.77 ft | 27,200 CFS | Feb 9, 1996 |
| 37.93 ft | 22,800 CFS | Nov 25, 1990 |
| 37.84 ft | 22,600 CFS | Jan 8, 2009 |
| 37.63 ft | 21,500 CFS | Dec 3, 1977 |
| 37.08 ft | 19,100 CFS | Nov 23, 1959 |
| 36.89 ft | — | Dec 11, 2025 |
| 36.69 ft | 17,400 CFS | Jan 17, 2011 |
| 36.50 ft | — | May 16, 2011 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Yakima River at Ellensburg
In Washington — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Yakima Canyon; Ringer Loop tubing plus blue-ribbon trout.
Yakima River at Ellensburg — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change Yakima River at Ellensburg quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Yakima River at Ellensburg high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late September here is 1,510 CFS, from 92 years of record (1934–2026). Today sits in the lowest quarter of those years, at 66% of the median. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 12484500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for UMTW1 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.