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 48 min ago
Running thin — a slow, scrapey float
At 1,420 CFS, this gauge is running 79% of normal for mid-September — below the 1,800 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 92 years of record (1934–2026). The stage is 2.2 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.
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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.
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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 31.29 ft
NWS forecast: 31.51 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 mid-September here is 1,800 CFS, from 92 years of record (1934–2026). Today is 79% of it. 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.