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Cowlitz River at Castle Rock — water level right now

Cowlitz County, Washington · NWS gauge CASW1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
48
minor flood stage
 
55.76
record crest
set 1996-02-08
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 46
minor · 48
moderate · 54
major · 57
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage57extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage54some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage48low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage46water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
155.761996-02-08+7.76 above
255.161995-11-30+7.16 above
354.72009-01-08+6.7 above
452.951980-05-18+4.95 above
552.452015-12-09+4.45 above
650.61990-01-09+2.6 above
750.041986-11-24+2.04 above
849.782006-11-07+1.78 above
949.461990-11-25+1.46 above
1049.012022-01-07+1.01 above
1148.182025-12-09+0.18 above
1248.181975-12-04+0.18 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake 5 mi away · loading… Cowlitz River at Kelso 9 mi away · loading… Columbia River at Longview 12 mi away · loading… Chehalis River near Doty 29 mi away · loading… Chehalis River at Centralia 30 mi away · loading… Grays River at Covered Bridge near Rosburg 32 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDCASW1
USGS site14243000
CountyCowlitz
StateWashington
NWS forecast officePortland
River forecast centerNorthwest River Forecast Center
Coordinates46.275, -122.915
Time zonePST8PDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Cowlitz River at Castle Rock

Is Cowlitz River at Castle Rock flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 48 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Cowlitz River at Castle Rock?

major flood stage 57 ft, moderate flood stage 54 ft, minor flood stage 48 ft, action stage 46 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Cowlitz River at Castle Rock?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 55.76 ft, reached on 1996-02-08 — that is 7.76 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Portland and local emergency management.