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Cowlitz River at Castle Rock

Highest listed crest 55.76 ftFlood stage 48.0 ft22 crests since 1964

The Cowlitz River at Castle Rock crested above flood stage 16 times among the 22 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2026. The highest, 55.76 ft on February 8, 1996, was moderate flooding, 7.76 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Cowlitz River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
55.76 ft
February 8, 1996; 112,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
48.0 ft
Major flooding from 57.0 ft
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2026
48.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cowlitz County
Near Longview (9.2 mi), Kelso (11.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cowlitz River at Castle Rock
Action stage46.06Feb 1, 2003The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)48.013Mar 14, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage54.03Jan 8, 2009Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage57.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

22 crests from 1964 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cowlitz River at Castle Rock, 1964 to 2026 46485052545658ft Flood stage 48.0 ftMajor 57.0 ft Dec 23, 1964: 48.06 ft, minor flooding; 83,900 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1972: 47.45 ft, action stage; 81,600 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1975: 48.18 ft, minor flooding; 86,700 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 48.13 ft, minor flooding; 86,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1980: 52.95 ft, minor flooding; 97,000 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1982: 46.85 ft, action stage; 67,300 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 1983: 47.95 ft, action stage; 49,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1986: 48.13 ft, minor flooding; 62,700 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1986: 50.04 ft, minor flooding; 77,600 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1990: 50.60 ft, minor flooding; 89,200 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1990: 49.46 ft, minor flooding; 76,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1995: 55.16 ft, moderate floodingFeb 8, 1996: 55.76 ft, moderate flooding; 112,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1996: 46.88 ft, action stage; 58,400 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1998: 46.59 ft, action stage; 57,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2003: 47.58 ft, action stage; 65,396 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2006: 49.78 ft, minor flooding; 77,300 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 54.70 ft, moderate flooding; 106,723 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 52.45 ft, minor flooding; 93,041 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2022: 49.01 ft, minor flooding; 63,759 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 48.18 ft, minor flooding; 61,146 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2026: 48.08 ft, minor flooding; 60,640 cubic feet per second Highest, 55.76 ft, Feb 8, 1996 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cowlitz River at Castle Rock 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 3 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 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

Highest listed crests, Cowlitz River at Castle Rock
1Feb 8, 199655.76+7.76Moderate112,000
2Nov 30, 199555.16+7.16Moderate—
3Jan 8, 200954.70+6.70Moderate106,723
4May 18, 198052.95+4.95Minor97,000
5Dec 9, 201552.45+4.45Minor93,041
6Jan 9, 199050.60+2.60Minor89,200
7Nov 24, 198650.04+2.04Minor77,600
8Nov 7, 200649.78+1.78Minor77,300
9Nov 25, 199049.46+1.46Minor76,000
10Jan 7, 202249.01+1.01Minor63,759
11Dec 4, 197548.18+0.18Minor86,700
12Dec 9, 202548.18+0.18Minor61,146
13Dec 2, 197748.13+0.13Minor86,400
14Feb 24, 198648.13+0.13Minor62,700
15Mar 14, 202648.08+0.08Minor60,640
16Dec 23, 196448.06+0.06Minor83,900
17Nov 18, 198347.95−0.05Action49,600
18Feb 1, 200347.58−0.42Action65,396
19Jan 20, 197247.45−0.55Action81,600
20Dec 29, 199646.88−1.12Action58,400
21Dec 4, 198246.85−1.15Action67,300
22Nov 26, 199846.59−1.41Action57,600

The worst floods along the Cowlitz River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Cowlitz River that crested above flood stage within a week.

February 8, 1996: 55.76 ft here, moderate flooding

  • KelsoWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 29.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • RandleWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 24.90 ft · Major
  • PackwoodWA · Feb 8, 1996 · 10.86 ft · Minor

November 30, 1995: 55.16 ft here, moderate flooding

  • KelsoWA · Nov 30, 1995 · 27.00 ft · Major
  • RandleWA · Nov 30, 1995 · 23.58 ft · Major
  • PackwoodWA · Nov 29, 1995 · 10.72 ft · Minor

January 8, 2009: 54.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RandleWA · Jan 7, 2009 · 22.85 ft · Major
  • KelsoWA · Jan 8, 2009 · 24.20 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cowlitz River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Cowlitz River
Castle Rock this gaugeWA48.055.76 ft, Feb 8, 19960
KelsoWA21.529.50 ft, Feb 9, 19963
PackwoodWA10.514.59 ft, Nov 6, 20069
RandleWA18.025.24 ft, Nov 7, 200610

Other gauges in Cowlitz County

Flood gauges in Cowlitz County
Longview13.524.00 ft, Jun 7, 18945
Kelso21.529.50 ft, Feb 9, 19963
Woodland24.034.50 ft, Feb 9, 19961
Tower Road near Silver Lake137.0145.01 ft, Dec 3, 19829

Cowlitz County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Washington

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CASW1, 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.