Big Lost River at Howell Ranch, ID
River level and flood forecast · Custer County
The river is 3.0 ft below flood stage (4.05 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.1 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 6 PM.
Flow: 118 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 1:07 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 Big Lost River at Howell Ranch to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Flood stage | 4.05 ft |
| Action stage | 3.51 ft |
| Record crest (May 25, 1967) | 6.02 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 4.05 ftWidespread lowland flooding from Howell Ranch downriver to the top of Mackay Reservoir. Fish Hatchery Road near Donahue Ranch may have water flowing over it. Canals and headgates may have problems.
- 3.51 ftNear bankfull from Howell Ranch downriver to the top of Mackay Reservoir. Some lowland flooding of fields possible.
Highest crests on record
- 6.02 ft — May 25, 1967
- 6 ft — June 26, 1954
- 5.94 ft — June 12, 1921
- 5.73 ft — June 12, 1965
- 5.68 ft — May 21, 2006
Recent crests: 5.21 ft (June 13, 2022) · 2.82 ft (June 5, 2021) · 3.52 ft (May 31, 2020) · 4.4 ft (June 7, 2019) · 4.15 ft (May 26, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamNorth Fork Big Lost River at Wild Horse, ID
- DownstreamEastern Idaho Reservoirs at Mackay Dam, ID
- Big Lost River below Mackay Reservoir, ID
- North Fork Big Wood River near Ketchum, ID
- Big Wood River near Ketchum, ID
- Trail Creek (ID) at Ketchum, ID
- Big Lost River at Leslie, ID
- Squaw Creek (ID) below Bruno Creek, ID
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (HWRI1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.