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Yakima River at Umtanum

Highest listed crest 41.10 ftFlood stage 35.5 ft14 crests since 1906

The Yakima River at Umtanum crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1906 to 2025. The highest, 41.10 ft on November 15, 1906, was major flooding, 5.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
41.10 ft
November 15, 1906; 41,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
35.5 ft
Major flooding from 39.0 ft
Crests at major
1
43rd of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 11, 2025
36.89 ft, minor flooding
Location
Kittitas County
Near Ellensburg (10.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Yakima River at Umtanum
Action stage33.52Dec 30, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)35.59Dec 11, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage38.02Feb 9, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage39.01Nov 15, 1906Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1906 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Yakima River at Umtanum, 1906 to 2025 3436384042ft Flood stage 35.5 ftMajor 39.0 ft Nov 15, 1906: 41.10 ft, major flooding; 41,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1948: 38.98 ft, moderate flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1959: 37.08 ft, minor flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1965: 35.22 ft, action stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1977: 37.63 ft, minor flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1990: 37.93 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 38.77 ft, moderate flooding; 27,200 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1999: 34.44 ft, action stage; 8,400 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 37.84 ft, minor flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2011: 36.69 ft, minor flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2011: 36.50 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 2015: 35.70 ft, minor flooding; 12,423 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2016: 35.67 ft, minor flooding; 12,308 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2025: 36.89 ft, minor flooding Highest, 41.10 ft, Nov 15, 1906 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Yakima River at Umtanum 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Yakima River at Umtanum
1Nov 15, 190641.10+5.60Major41,000
2May 29, 194838.98+3.48Moderate27,800
3Feb 9, 199638.77+3.27Moderate27,200
4Nov 25, 199037.93+2.43Minor22,800
5Jan 8, 200937.84+2.34Minor22,600
6Dec 3, 197737.63+2.13Minor21,500
7Nov 23, 195937.08+1.58Minor19,100
8Dec 11, 202536.89+1.39Minor—
9Jan 17, 201136.69+1.19Minor17,400
10May 16, 201136.50+1.00Minor—
11Dec 10, 201535.70+0.20Minor12,423
12Feb 16, 201635.67+0.17Minor12,308
13Jan 31, 196535.22−0.28Action11,700
14Dec 30, 199934.44−1.06Action8,400

The worst floods along the Yakima River

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

May 29, 1948: 38.98 ft here, moderate flooding

  • KionaWA · May 31, 1948 · 17.20 ft · Major

February 9, 1996: 38.77 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HorlickWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 39.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • KionaWA · Feb 11, 1996 · 20.98 ft · Major
  • ParkerWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 16.21 ft · Major · its highest
  • EastonWA · Feb 8, 1996 · 53.23 ft · Minor

November 25, 1990: 37.93 ft here, minor flooding

  • ParkerWA · Nov 26, 1990 · 14.50 ft · Major
  • EastonWA · Nov 24, 1990 · 55.28 ft · Minor
  • KionaWA · Nov 27, 1990 · 14.36 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Yakima River

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

Flood gauges on the Yakima River
EastonWA51.357.01 ft, Dec 9, 20250
HorlickWA36.039.30 ft, Feb 9, 19962
KionaWA13.021.57 ft, Dec 23, 19338
Umtanum this gaugeWA35.541.10 ft, Nov 15, 19061
ParkerWA10.016.21 ft, Feb 9, 19964

Other gauges in Kittitas County

Flood gauges in Kittitas County
Easton51.357.01 ft, Dec 9, 20250
Horlick36.039.30 ft, Feb 9, 19962

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge UMTW1, 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.