6 USGS Streamgages
Puyallup River flows and levels
Puyallup River is gauged at 6 USGS streamgages in Washington, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 54 miles (87 km) from headwaters to outlet. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 93 square miles at Puyallup River near Electron, WA up to 948 at Puyallup River at Puyallup, WA. The gauged reach falls about 1,621 feet, from 1,641 feet down to 20. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 4 of them.
Gauges on this river, upstream to downstream
Ordered by drainage area, which is how far down the river each gauge sits. April and July figures are long-term median daily flows for that month from the USGS record — historical normals, not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Gauge | State | Drainage sq mi | Elevation ft | April p50 cfs | July p50 cfs | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puyallup River near Electron, WA | WA | 93 | 1,641 | 385.8 | 628.5 | 14-day |
| Puyallup River near Orting, WA | WA | 172 | 372 | 595 | 676.9 | 14-day |
| Puyallup River at Alderton, WA | WA | 438 | 49 | 1,498 | 1,231.6 | 14-day |
| Puyallup River at E Main Bridge at Puyallup, WA | WA | 443 | 35 | 1,621.3 | — | — |
| Puyallup River at 5Th St Bridge at Puyallup, WA | WA | 943 | 23 | 3,395 | — | — |
| Puyallup River at Puyallup, WA | WA | 948 | 20 | 3,164.3 | 2,817.4 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Puyallup River at Puyallup, WA
The furthest-downstream gauge on this river, so the fullest flow it carries here. Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 112 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,791 | 3,348.7 | 8,060 | |
| February | 1,750.3 | 3,064.5 | 6,819 | |
| March | 1,765.2 | 2,879.4 | 5,200 | |
| April | 2,020.7 | 3,164.3 | 5,181.3 | |
| May | 2,290.3 | 3,781.3 | 6,018.7 | |
| June | 2,461 | 4,039 | 6,706 | |
| July | 1,939.7 | 2,817.4 | 4,526.5 | |
| August | 1,462.6 | 1,981.9 | 2,728.1 | |
| September | 1,081.5 | 1,553.7 | 2,294.7 | |
| October | 930.4 | 1,557.1 | 3,351.6 | |
| November | 1,177.3 | 2,577.3 | 6,765.3 | |
| December | 1,590.3 | 3,280 | 8,154.8 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Puyallup River run highest?
- June, on the long-term record at Puyallup River at Puyallup, WA — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 4,039 cfs that month, against 1,553.7 cfs in September, the lowest. Upstream gauges peak on their own schedule; the table on this page gives April and July for each.
- How many gauges are on the Puyallup River?
- Rivermatics tracks 6 USGS streamgages on the Puyallup River, across Washington. Each has its own page with the site's full flow record and monthly normals. The river may carry other gauges that publish neither daily values nor discharge statistics; those are not tracked here.
- Is there a flow forecast for the Puyallup River?
- Yes, at 4 of the 6 gauges. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on each basin's observed flows, weather and snowpack, and issues a daily outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on each gauge's live screen.
- Can I use Puyallup River data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.