Elwha River Flow Today
As of October 15, 2026 at 1:00 AM, the Elwha River is flowing at 218 cfs at Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles, WA — 34% of normal for the date and down 2% in 24 hours. 1 of 2 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days. ❤ Favorite
Elwha River map
See the Elwha River on a live map
Every gauge, dam and paddle run on the river, one tap each:
- Gauges now — which reaches are high or low
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Elwha River conditions today
Where the river is running versus normal, what’s rising or dropping, and what it means for a trip — built from the live USGS readings below.
At Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles, the Elwha River is running 218 cfs — 34% of normal, down 2% since yesterday. Along the river, 1 of 1 reporting gauges are below normal (the typical gauge is at 34% of normal).
Paddlers: 0 of 5 runs on the Elwha River with a live range are in range, 5 too low.
How the Elwha River compares to normal
Every reporting gauge from the top of the river to the bottom: bar length is today’s flow, colour is percent of normal for the date.
Flow along the river, upstream to downstream
- Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles264 ft 218 cfs34%
Bar length uses a square-root scale so small headwater flows stay visible next to big downstream ones. Colour: <50% 50–90 90–110 110–150 150%+ of normal.
Where every gauge sits
One dot per Elwha River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (34%).
Elwha River flow report
| Streamgage | Streamflow | % of normal | 24h | Gage height | To flood stage | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elwha River Above Lake Mills Near Port Angeles WA
Last reported Sep 30 · USGS 12044900 |
725 cfs | · | · | 539.27 ft | · | 624 ft |
|
Elwha River At Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles WA
Oct 15, 1:00 AM · USGS 12045500 |
218 cfs | 34% | -2% | 8.94 ft | 11.1 ft below | 264 ft |
USGS provisional data. Readings are in each gauge’s local time; gauges silent for more than 3 days are marked “Last reported”. Tap any gauge for its hydrograph, forecast and history.
Paddle runs on the Elwha River
Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).
Elwha River streamflow over time
Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river (this total last updated earlier; the live gauge readings above are current).
Maximum streamflow by year
Elwha River
The Elwha River is a 45-mile-long river located in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It flows from the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Historically, the Elwha River was a vital salmon habitat for the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe until two hydroelectric dams, the Elwha Dam and the Glines Canyon Dam, were built in the early 1900s. The dams were removed in 2011 and 2014, respectively, as part of the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Since then, the river has been gradually returning to its natural state, restoring salmon habitats and benefiting other wildlife. The river is also a popular spot for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Agriculture is limited in the area due to the rugged terrain and high rainfall.
About the Elwha River
How is the Elwha River flowing right now?
As of October 15, 2026, the Elwha River is flowing at 218 cfs at Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles, WA, about 34% of normal for the date. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.
Is the Elwha River running high or low?
The typical gauge on the Elwha River is at 34% of normal for the date. Above 100% means higher than the historical average for this calendar day; below 100% means lower. The profile above shows which reaches are high or low.
What is flood stage on the Elwha River?
The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Mcdonald Branch Near Port Angeles (20.0 ft). The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.
Is the Elwha River runnable for paddling today?
Each run in the paddle table is checked against its runnable range using its gauge's live flow.
Where does the data come from?
Discharge and gage height are from the USGS National Water Information System; flood stages from the National Weather Service. The history chart sums every monitored gauge on the river.
Can I get alerts for a gauge?
Yes — open any gauge from the table, favorite it in the Snoflo app and set a flow threshold.