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Palouse River near Potlatch

Highest listed crest 22.15 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft59 crests since 1968

The Palouse River near Potlatch crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 59 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2026. The highest, 22.15 ft on February 9, 1996, was major flooding, 7.15 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.15 ft
February 9, 1996; 14,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
12
1st of 78 gauges in Idaho
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2026
15.45 ft, minor flooding
Location
Latah County
Near Moscow (13.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Palouse River near Potlatch
Action stage14.05Jan 13, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.010Mar 14, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.07Apr 10, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.012Feb 24, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

59 crests from 1968 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Palouse River near Potlatch, 1968 to 2026 510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Feb 20, 1968: 18.08 ft, major flooding; 5,910 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1969: 13.43 ft, below flood stage; 3,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1970: 16.40 ft, moderate flooding; 4,740 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1971: 13.63 ft, below flood stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1972: 18.29 ft, major flooding; 6,100 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 21.08 ft, major flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1975: 14.25 ft, action stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1976: 13.53 ft, below flood stage; 3,510 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1977: 7.97 ft, below flood stage; 787 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1977: 13.01 ft, below flood stage; 3,090 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1979: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,550 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1980: 11.71 ft, below flood stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1981: 17.31 ft, major flooding; 5,940 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1982: 18.32 ft, major flooding; 6,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1983: 15.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,790 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1986: 13.72 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1987: 11.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1988: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 12.76 ft, below flood stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1990: 17.20 ft, major flooding; 5,820 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1991: 13.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1992: 12.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,640 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 14.01 ft, action stage; 3,460 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1994: 8.08 ft, below flood stage; 619 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1995: 16.36 ft, moderate flooding; 5,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 22.15 ft, major flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 18.32 ft, major flooding; 8,400 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1998: 11.66 ft, below flood stage; 2,450 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1999: 15.90 ft, minor flooding; 6,139 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2000: 15.09 ft, minor flooding; 5,080 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2001: 10.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2002: 16.31 ft, moderate flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2003: 16.10 ft, moderate flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2004: 11.73 ft, below flood stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2005: 12.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2006: 14.51 ft, action stage; 4,520 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2007: 13.91 ft, below flood stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2009: 15.87 ft, minor flooding; 5,751 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2010: 10.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2011: 16.50 ft, moderate flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2011: 15.18 ft, minor flooding; 4,894 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2011: 15.28 ft, minor flooding; 4,986 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2012: 16.64 ft, moderate flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2012: 17.74 ft, major flooding; 7,347 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2013: 10.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2014: 14.87 ft, action stage; 4,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2015: 13.85 ft, below flood stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2016: 12.09 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2017: 15.13 ft, minor flooding; 4,851 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2017: 17.53 ft, major flooding; 7,054 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2018: 15.92 ft, minor flooding; 5,577 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2019: 16.93 ft, moderate flooding; 6,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2020: 11.74 ft, below flood stage; 2,050 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2021: 14.07 ft, action stage; 3,380 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2022: 18.74 ft, major flooding; 6,320 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2022: 12.96 ft, below flood stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2024: 9.94 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2025: 17.25 ft, major flooding; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2026: 15.45 ft, minor flooding; 4,240 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.15 ft, Feb 9, 1996 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Palouse River near Potlatch 1960s: 1 1970s: 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 4 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 3 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 59 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Palouse River near Potlatch
1Feb 9, 199622.15+7.15Major14,600
2Jan 16, 197421.08+6.08Major10,100
3Jun 14, 202218.74+3.74Major6,320
4Feb 19, 198218.32+3.32Major6,760
5Jan 1, 199718.32+3.32Major8,400
6Jan 21, 197218.29+3.29Major6,100
7Feb 20, 196818.08+3.08Major5,910
8Mar 31, 201217.74+2.74Major7,347
9Mar 16, 201717.53+2.53Major7,054
10Feb 17, 198117.31+2.31Major5,940
11Feb 24, 202517.25+2.25Major5,850
12Jun 2, 199017.20+2.20Major5,820
13Apr 10, 201916.93+1.93Moderate6,350
14Mar 27, 201216.64+1.64Moderate6,150
15Jan 17, 201116.50+1.50Moderate6,140
16Feb 17, 197016.40+1.40Moderate4,740
17Feb 20, 199516.36+1.36Moderate5,260
18Feb 24, 200216.31+1.31Moderate6,180
19Feb 1, 200316.10+1.10Moderate5,970
20Feb 5, 201815.92+0.92Minor5,577
21Feb 24, 199915.90+0.90Minor6,139
22Jan 9, 200915.87+0.87Minor5,751
23Feb 19, 198315.80+0.80Minor4,790
24Mar 14, 202615.45+0.45Minor4,240
25Apr 5, 201115.28+0.28Minor4,986
26Mar 31, 201115.18+0.18Minor4,894
27Feb 17, 201715.13+0.13Minor4,851
28Feb 2, 200015.09+0.09Minor5,080
29May 6, 197915.000.00Minor4,550
30Mar 10, 201414.87−0.13Action4,620
31Jan 11, 200614.51−0.49Action4,520
32May 12, 197514.25−0.75Action4,110
33Jan 13, 202114.07−0.93Action3,380
34Mar 24, 199314.01−0.99Action3,460
35Mar 5, 199113.95−1.05Below flood stage3,390
36Jan 3, 200713.91−1.09Below flood stage4,030
37Feb 10, 201513.85−1.15Below flood stage3,780
38Feb 24, 198613.72−1.28Below flood stage3,400
39Jan 20, 197113.63−1.37Below flood stage3,150
40Jan 15, 197613.53−1.47Below flood stage3,510
41Apr 1, 196913.43−1.57Below flood stage3,040
42Dec 14, 197713.01−1.99Below flood stage3,090
43Dec 28, 202212.96−2.04Below flood stage2,630
44Mar 12, 198912.76−2.24Below flood stage2,650
45Feb 21, 199212.75−2.25Below flood stage2,640
46Mar 28, 200512.34−2.66Below flood stage2,860
47Feb 19, 201612.09−2.91Below flood stage2,510
48Feb 8, 202011.74−3.26Below flood stage2,050
49May 22, 200411.73−3.27Below flood stage2,460
50May 26, 198011.71−3.29Below flood stage2,360

Latah County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Idaho

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PLOI1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.