Cowlitz River at Randle, WA
River level and flood forecast · Lewis County
The river is 14.3 ft below flood stage (18 ft).
Forecast to hold near 3.7 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 5 PM.
Flow: 382 cubic feet per second (USGS).
River cameras
Watch the time-lapse
Watch the time-lapse
Cameras by the U.S. Geological Survey. Most take a picture every hour, some every few minutes; many stop at night.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:20 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Cowlitz River at Randle to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 22 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 18 ft |
| Action stage | 13.2 ft |
| Record crest (November 7, 2006) | 25.24 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22 ftthe Cowlitz River will cause major flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...with dangerous inundation of many roads including US Highway 12...residential and commercial areas...and farms. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Cowlitz River Basin.
- 20 ftthe Cowlitz River will cause flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...inundating many roads including US Highway 12 and much of the farm lands.
- 18 ftthe Cowlitz River will cause minor flooding from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...covering nearby farm lands and several roads.
- 15 ftthe Cowlitz River will spill into low fields along river from the vicinity of Randle downstream through Riffe Lake...with shallow water over a few roads.
Highest crests on record
- 25.24 ft — November 7, 2006
- 24.9 ft — February 9, 1996
- 24.17 ft — December 11, 2025
- 24.11 ft — December 9, 2015
- 23.58 ft — November 30, 1995
Recent crests: 19.84 ft (December 19, 2025) · 18.83 ft (December 17, 2025) · 24.17 ft (December 11, 2025) · 21.31 ft (December 6, 2023) · 19.07 ft (November 5, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (RAWW1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.