THE SPOKANE RIVER IS RUNNING DRY AGAIN

For the second year in a row, portions of the Spokane River are losing all surface water. In 2025, portions of the river downstream of Barker Road went completely dry for the first time. In 2026, the river is reaching those conditions even more quickly.

This is happening as Spokane experiences another summer of extreme conditions and devastating wildfires. The fires and a river running dry are different impacts, but both are reminders of what a hotter, drier climate means for our region.

A dry river should not become normal.

CURRENT RIVER CONDITIONS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2026

Water has returned to the dry reach. Flows from Post Falls Dam increased yesterday, and surface water began returning to the section of the Spokane River that had been dry for nearly a month. The return of the water is welcome, but it is not a sign of a healthy river overall. This stretch suffered tremendous devastation, and the long-term impacts to the ecosystem will take time to understand.

Spokane Riverkeeper will continue documenting and studying what happened this summer. We’ll share more about the science and data we’ve been collecting later this fall as that work is processed.

AUgust 30, 2026

The river has continued to get dryer and dryer. The small bit of rain did nothing to bring water back to this reach. Now, the river is dry for over a mile and half, and the pool that remained at Barker Road is shrinking more and more. Flows at the end of the pool are near 0, confirming that no new water is making it through the pool. Still one week remains before flows are expected to return, even with milder weather this week.

AUgust 19, 2026

The remaining standing pools along the mile and a half from Barker Road to Flora continue to disappear. The smell of dead fish and exposed river bed is starting to seep up to the Centennial Trail. The standing pools are getting increasingly warmer with the hotter weather, unfiltered sun without the smoke coverage from the last few weeks. Flows at Post Falls Dam have remained relatively steady at or near 500 cfs, and will stay that way until September 8th.

AUGUST 10, 2026

Post Falls Dam reduced releases from approximately 600 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 500 cfs on August 7. By August 9th, we began receiving reports that the river began to go dry again. On August 10th, we confirmed that a significant section of the river was dry again.

The river is losing water much more quickly than it did following the same reduction in 2025. Spokane Riverkeeper is monitoring the losing reach below Barker Road and documenting how far the impacts extend upstream.

Based on current conditions, portions of the river could remain dewatered for roughly two weeks longer than they did in 2025. We will continue to share updates as conditions change.

CALLING FOR ACTION ON SPOKANE RIVER FLOWS

This summer, Spokane Riverkeeper and community members came together to call attention to the Spokane River’s worsening low-flow conditions. We delivered a petition to Governor Ferguson calling for action to protect Spokane River flows.

Our petition calls for a collaborative process that brings together state and federal agencies, Idaho leaders, Tribal governments, scientists, water managers, and community partners to better understand the challenges facing the Spokane River and identify actions to protect its future.

The petition has been delivered. Now we’re continuing the work.

WHAT'S NEXT

The return of water to the dry reach does not mean the problem is solved. A river that repeatedly loses all surface water should not become normal. Spokane Riverkeeper will continue advocating for action while working to better understand the conditions that led to this summer’s dry reach. We are continuing to monitor the river and analyze data from our seepage runs and other field work.

We’ll share more about what we’re learning later this fall and continue pushing for solutions that protect Spokane River flows for the future.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2025?

In late August 2025, portions of the Spokane River between Barker Road and Flora lost all surface water for approximately two weeks. This was the first time portions of this reach had been completely dry in recorded observation. This was not simply “low flows.” In some places, there was no surface water at all. If response, we delivered petitions to decision-makers and have been in discussions with them all winter about solutions.

These low flows are caused by a combination of weather patterns, climate change, dam operations, drought conditions, and the river’s close connection to the local aquifer. When water levels drop, aquatic life struggles, habitats collapse, and water quality declines.

Understanding the river’s flow dynamics is key to protecting it. The Spokane River does not exist independently from the groundwater beneath our region. In the losing reach, water moves from the Spokane River into the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. Under very low-flow conditions, this connection contributes to portions of the river losing all surface water. Learn more about our seepage study to better understand these conditions here.

The aquifer, in turn, supports communities, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems throughout the region.

Learn more about the Aquifer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • The Post Falls Dam operations certainly impact river flows. In August, the flows in this section largely depend on what is coming from Post Falls.

    Avista is legally required to keep the lake held at a summer recreational level through Labor Day as a requirement of their license.

    From Avista’s FERC license: “To enhance aquatic habitat for the wild rainbow trout population downstream of Post Falls dam, the license requires Avista to maintain a minimum discharge of 600 cfs from the Post Falls dam from June 7 until the Tuesday following Labor Day each year, and reduce the minimum discharge to 500 cfs if the lake level falls below 2,127.75 feet during the summer full-pool period. The contingency for a 500-cfs minimum flow release will help ensure that sufficient water is stored in Coeur d’Alene Lake to maintain lake elevations for summer recreation, and provide for protection of aquatic habitat for rainbow trout in the Spokane River during low-water years.”  

  • Yes, multiple sections have completely lost surface water. These are not just seasonal side channels.

  • Reduced outdoor use, particularly irrigation during hot months, eases pressure on the aquifer and helps sustain river flows. Learn more about water conservation and how it can protect the river here.

  • As you move down river, the elevation of the river relative to the aquifer changes, and the aquifer starts discharging water into the river. During late summer, you can see this happening near Sullivan Road. The springs appear all along the shore! You can learn more about the Spokane River–aquifer connection here.

  • The devastating wildfires affecting our region this summer are a stark reminder that climate change is already changing the environment around us. The river is another part of that story.

    Hotter and drier conditions put increasing pressure on water resources at the same time that our communities and ecosystems need water most. A river running dry and a landscape burning are different impacts, but both demonstrate the consequences of a hotter, drier climate.

    We cannot prepare for these conditions by managing water as though the climate of the past is the climate of the future. We need to change how we conserve, manage, and protect water.