Is the River Running?

The live Wenatchee flow against published whitewater bands, the float season, and how to stay safe on cold water.

The Wenatchee runs right through Leavenworth, and on a hot day it fills with tubers and rafters. This page reads the live flow off the USGS gauge and shows where it falls against the flow bands American Whitewater publishes for this run — plus how to be safe on cold, fast water.

Leavenworth to Cashmere · Class III+ · about 17 miles

No current reading

We couldn’t reach the USGS streamflow service just now. The numbers below describe the river in a normal season; check the official gauge for the live figure.

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Flow

cubic feet per second

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Gauge height

water height at the gauge

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Past 7 days

latest day vs. a week ago

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7-day high

highest flow this week

The flow is read at the Wenatchee River at Peshastin. Peshastin is about 9 miles downstream of Leavenworth, after the river has gathered Icicle and Peshastin creeks, so it reads a bit higher than the water at Barn Beach — but it is the gauge American Whitewater and local boaters watch for this run.

What the flow means

These bands come from American Whitewater — Wenatchee, Leavenworth to Cashmere and describe the river’s size and whitewater difficulty — not a judgement that floating is safe for you today. Cold, moving water is stronger than it looks.

Flow	What it means
→ Low waterunder 1,500 cfs	Below American Whitewater's runnable range — late-summer flow. Rafts get technical and scrapey; it is the gentler water tubers see in town, but it is still cold and still moving.
Runnable — Class III1,500–7,999 cfs	American Whitewater's runnable range and the classic summer rafting flow: lively wave trains with calmer stretches in between.
High — Class III+8,000–13,999 cfs	Bigger, pushier water. Outfitters still run it, but it is not beginner water and the cold hits harder if you go in.
Very high — Class III+ to IV-14,000 cfs and up	Peak snowmelt: powerful, cold and fast, for experienced boaters with the right gear. Not a day for tubes or cheap floats.

Before you get on the river

The Wenatchee is cold, fast snowmelt even on a hot afternoon, and the rapids below the calm in-town stretch have caught floaters out. In July 2022 five people needed rescue in four days and a woman drowned — every river death that year was someone not wearing a life jacket. After the town added signs, life-jacket stations and River Ambassadors, 2025 saw zero river deaths and zero swiftwater rescue calls. Wear a life jacket, get out at Barn Beach where the "Don't Float Past Here" markers are, skip the cheap inflatables that puncture, and if you are not sure, go with a licensed outfitter (River Recreation, Osprey Rafting, Triad River Tours and Wildwater all run this river). In an emergency call 911.

When people are on the water

Commercial rafting season runs roughly mid-April through September, biggest in May and June on the snowmelt and dropping off through July and August. The town's float season for the in-town tubing stretch runs early June to early September from the Icicle Bridge put-in (the Fish Hatchery put-in is open in June only, and its gate closes July 1). On summer weekends, River Recreation Ambassadors and life-jacket stations are staffed at the access points, roughly 11am–5pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Where people get on and off

Spot	Type	Note
Icicle Bridge	Put in	Float-season put-in, early June to early September.
Fish Hatchery	Put in	Open June only; the lot gate closes July 1.
Barn Beach	Take out	The main take-out — get out here. The "Don't Float Past Here" markers are just below.
East Leavenworth Road Boat Launch	Take out	Downstream ramp, mainly for boats.
Blackbird Island	On-river marker	The in-river island just before Barn Beach; stay toward the take-out side.

Worth knowing

The river that took out US-2

In December 2025 the Wenatchee crested around 17 feet at this gauge, and the flooding destroyed a 49-mile stretch of US-2 through Tumwater Canyon — cutting the only direct route to the Seattle side for about two months. When a flood warning is in force it shows on the valley's weather warnings page and on the NWS gauge linked above.

Outfitters & official channels

Leavenworth river recreation & safety mapThe official float map, access points, life-jacket stations and the float season.
American Whitewater — Wenatchee (Leavenworth to Cashmere)The reach page these flow bands come from, with boaters' notes.

Streamflow from the U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Official gauge page: waterdata.usgs.gov.