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Yakima River near Parker

Highest listed crest 16.21 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft27 crests since 1933

The Yakima River near Parker crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1933 to 2026. The highest, 16.21 ft on February 9, 1996, was major flooding, 6.21 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Yakima River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.21 ft
February 9, 1996; 58,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
4
27th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
March 21, 2026
10.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Yakima County
Near Yakima (8.2 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 near Parker
Action stage9.40—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.014Mar 21, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.09Dec 11, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.04Feb 9, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1933 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Yakima River near Parker, 1933 to 2026 1012141618ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Dec 23, 1933: 15.00 ft, major flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1965: 11.65 ft, minor flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1972: 11.65 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 13.35 ft, moderate flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1975: 13.14 ft, moderate flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1977: 13.97 ft, moderate flooding; 35,900 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1980: 13.44 ft, moderate floodingFeb 19, 1981: 10.61 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1982: 11.61 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1983: 10.11 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 1984: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1986: 10.22 ft, minor floodingNov 26, 1990: 14.50 ft, major flooding; 35,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1995: 10.75 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1995: 11.28 ft, minor flooding; 19,500 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1995: 14.61 ft, major flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 16.21 ft, major flooding; 58,200 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2009: 13.03 ft, moderate floodingJan 18, 2011: 12.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 2011: 11.30 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2011: 13.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 2012: 10.19 ft, minor flooding; 19,371 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2015: 12.15 ft, moderate flooding; 28,339 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2016: 10.93 ft, minor flooding; 23,192 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2020: 10.40 ft, minor floodingDec 11, 2025: 12.37 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 2026: 10.23 ft, minor flooding; 19,917 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.21 ft, Feb 9, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Yakima River near Parker 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 4 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 5 2000s: 1 2010s: 6 2020s: 3 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 near Parker
1Feb 9, 199616.21+6.21Major58,200
2Dec 23, 193315.00+5.00Major65,000
3Nov 30, 199514.61+4.61Major36,500
4Nov 26, 199014.50+4.50Major35,600
5Dec 3, 197713.97+3.97Moderate35,900
6Dec 27, 198013.44+3.44Moderate—
7Jan 16, 197413.35+3.35Moderate28,000
8May 16, 201113.20+3.20Moderate—
9Dec 4, 197513.14+3.14Moderate26,700
10Jan 9, 200913.03+3.03Moderate—
11Dec 11, 202512.37+2.37Moderate—
12Jan 18, 201112.20+2.20Moderate—
13Dec 10, 201512.15+2.15Moderate28,339
14Jan 31, 196511.65+1.65Minor22,900
15Mar 14, 197211.65+1.65Minor20,200
16Feb 21, 198211.61+1.61Minor—
17Jan 25, 198411.41+1.41Minor22,000
18Apr 1, 201111.30+1.30Minor—
19Feb 21, 199511.28+1.28Minor19,500
20Feb 16, 201610.93+0.93Minor23,192
21Feb 1, 199510.75+0.75Minor16,900
22Feb 19, 198110.61+0.61Minor—
23Feb 8, 202010.40+0.40Minor—
24Mar 21, 202610.23+0.23Minor19,917
25Feb 26, 198610.22+0.22Minor—
26Apr 25, 201210.19+0.19Minor19,371
27Mar 10, 198310.11+0.11Minor—

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.

February 9, 1996: 16.21 ft here, major flooding

  • HorlickWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 39.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • KionaWA · Feb 11, 1996 · 20.98 ft · Major
  • UmtanumWA · Feb 9, 1996 · 38.77 ft · Moderate
  • EastonWA · Feb 8, 1996 · 53.23 ft · Minor

December 23, 1933: 15.00 ft here, major flooding

  • KionaWA · Dec 23, 1933 · 21.57 ft · Major · its highest

November 30, 1995: 14.61 ft here, major flooding

  • HorlickWA · Nov 29, 1995 · 38.08 ft · Moderate
  • KionaWA · Dec 2, 1995 · 15.88 ft · Moderate
  • EastonWA · Nov 29, 1995 · 54.01 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
UmtanumWA35.541.10 ft, Nov 15, 19061
Parker this gaugeWA10.016.21 ft, Feb 9, 19964

Other gauges in Yakima County

Flood gauges in Yakima County
Cliffdell31.032.97 ft, Feb 9, 19960
Naches17.822.36 ft, Feb 8, 19961

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PARW1, 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.