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

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.

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

SEE THE DRY RIVER. STAND UP FOR ITS FUTURE.

Rally for spokane River Flows

Join Spokane Riverkeeper and community members at the river to witness current conditions and demand action to protect Spokane River flows. We’ll gather at Barker Road and march together into the dry reach, where we’ll hear from Spokane Riverkeeper, community leaders, and others about what is happening to the river and what needs to change.

We are calling on state leaders to act now to protect future river flows and ensure the Spokane River has enough water to support fish, wildlife, communities, and the ecosystems that depend on it.

Thursday, September 3, 2026, beginning at 4pm.

Learn more

HELP US TRACK CONDITIONS & IMPACTS

Go see the river. Tell us what you find.

If you visit the Spokane River, share your photos and observations with Spokane Riverkeeper. Help us document low-flow conditions and what they mean for the river, fish, wildlife, and habitat.

WHAT TO SHARE

  • Photos or video of current river conditions

  • Where you were, including the nearest landmark or trail access

  • The date and approximate time

  • What you observed, such as exposed riverbed, isolated pools, stranded fish, or changes in flow

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.