Kenai River at Cooper Landing, AK
River level and flood forecast · Kenai Peninsula County
The river is 5.1 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to hold near 7.9 ft through Thu, Oct 15, 6 AM.
Flow: 2,180 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:31 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Kenai River at Cooper Landing to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 15.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (September 21, 1974) | 17.18 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 16.5 ftMany houses and businesses along Sterling Highway miles 48-50 will begin to flood. Water should also start to encroach houses built along Primrose Road. Quartz Creek and North Cooper Creek Campgrounds will be underwater. Water will also be over the Sterling Highway at mile 54.
- 15 ftQuartz Creek Campground boat ramp submerged and water encroaches campsites that are located next to the lake. Water should start to approach foundation level of buildings along Sterling Highway miles 48-50. North Cooper Creek Campgrounds begins to flood. Water in slough at mile 54 will encroach the Sterling Highway.
- 14 ftProperties along the Sterling Highway miles 48-50 begin to see water in their yards. USGS gauge house adjacent to Cooper Landing bridge will begin to flood. Bottom of wooden walkway at boat ramp starts to be submerged.
- 12.5 ftWater starts to flow over Primrose Road on the southern end of Kenai Lake.
- 11 ftHigh water level -- Class II+ whitewater above Jim's Landing; Class III below Jim's Landing.
- 9 ftMedium water level -- Class II whitewater above Jim's Landing; Class II+ below Jim's Landing
- 6 ftLow water level -- Class II whitewater above and below Jim's Landing
Highest crests on record
- 17.18 ft — September 21, 1974
- 16.25 ft — September 1, 1967
- 16.2 ft — September 23, 1995
- 16.01 ft — September 24, 2012
- 15.66 ft — June 29, 1953
Recent crests: 10.69 ft (July 11, 2020) · 14.62 ft (August 4, 2019) · 12.85 ft (June 21, 2018) · 15.06 ft (September 24, 2017) · 12.83 ft (June 27, 2016)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamSnow River near Seward, AK
- DownstreamKenai River below Skilak Lake Outlet near Sterling, AK
- Cooper Creek at Mouth near Cooper Landing, AK
- Grouse Creek at Grouse Lake Outlet near Seward, AK
- Sixmile Creek near Hope, AK
- Lowell Creek at Seward, AK
- Wolverine Creek near Lawing, AK
- Glacier Creek at Alyeska Highway at Girdwood, AK
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (COOA2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.