Similkameen River near Nighthawk, WA
River level and flood forecast · Okanogan County
The river is 11.8 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Forecast to hold near 2.2 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 5 PM.
Flow: 264 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:43 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
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An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Similkameen River near Nighthawk to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 15 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 13 ft |
| Record crest (June 1, 1972) | 17.97 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 18 ftWater will be into homes and trailers that are in the low areas close to the river. Some homes on Palmer Lake may experience flooding. This is equivalent to the 1972 flood. Loomis-Oroville Road around Palmer lake and Chopaka Road near the intersection with Loomis-Oroville Rd will be impassable.
- 15 ftWater will be around the foundation of the home on Allemandi Road south of the Nighthawk Bridge. Widespread flooding of agricultural land and private property along the river valley. Portions of Loomis-Oroville Road around Palmer Lake will be inundated between Toats Coulee and Chopaka Road. Chopaka Road will be flooded.
- 14.4 ftMinor flooding to properties on the southwest side Oroville to near the Oroville Golf Course and in pasture lands near Split Rock and Miners Flat Campground off of Loomis-Oroville Road.
- 14.25 ftWater may begin to come over Loomis-Oroville road near Chopka Road on the south end of Palmer Lake. Minor flooding found in the Similkameen Valley off of Chopka Road.
- 13 ftWater starts to back up into Palmer Lake and water will be a few inches deep over Chopaka Road. Low-lying pastures and agricultural land around Chopaka and Allemandi Roads will be flooded in the Similkameen Valley. Water will begin to encroach on farm land just downstream of the Nighthawk bridge.
Highest crests on record
- 17.97 ft — June 1, 1972
- 17.62 ft — May 30, 1948
- 15.52 ft — June 17, 1974
- 15.5 ft — May 11, 2018
- 15.47 ft — June 17, 1950
Recent crests: 8.37 ft (May 17, 2024) · 11.17 ft (May 7, 2023) · 11.02 ft (June 6, 2022) · 14.38 ft (November 16, 2021) · 10.56 ft (May 18, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NITW1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.