LIVE INFRASTRUCTURE · GRAND COULEE, WASHINGTON

GRAND COULEE LIVE

Grand Coulee, right now.

Lake Roosevelt, river flow, what’s changing now and over the last week, tours and visitor conditions.

UPDATED Sep 20, 5:00 PM PDT
TODAY

SEE THE DAM ON YOUR TIME

Closed for today Current outflow is 50% above the last 7-day average.

Lake RooseveltMEASURED
1,283.40 ft

6.60 ft below full pool · 1,283.7 ft forecast Sep 20

Lake change · 24hMEASURED
↑ 0.30 ft

→ 0.00 ft over 6h

Current outflowMEASURED
67.3 kcfs

+50% vs 7-day avg · 45.0 kcfs avg

Daily inflowREPORTED
60.3 kcfs

16.0 kcfs above latest daily outflow

Lake change · 7dDERIVED
↑ 3.10 ft

Compared with the reported lake level 7 days earlier

Visitor CenterREPORTED
CLOSED

Closed for today

Next plant tourREPORTED
9:00 AM

Next tours Friday beginning at 9:00 AM

TonightPLAN
8:30 PM

One River, Many Voices · sunset 7:00 PM

GRAND COULEE

See the dam

RIVER TODAYSep 20, 12:00 AM PDT · USACE CWMS
Inflow60.3 kcfs16.0 kcfs above daily outflow
Outflow44.3 kcfs7-day avg 45.0 kcfs
Lake change↑ 0.30 ft24h · 7d ↑ 3.10 ft
Aerial view of Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia River
LAKE1,283.40 ft
OUTFLOW67.3 kcfs
Bureau of Reclamation aerial · public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗
PLAN YOUR VISIT

When are you getting here?

Set your arrival time and how long you have. The plan lines up the Visitor Center, tours, sunset and tonight’s show.

DAM TIME5:20 PM PDT
YOUR TIME—
Time available
BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

OUTDOOR VISIT BEFORE THE LASER

180 minutes available

TIME180 min
VISITOR CENTERNone
TOURS0
CROWDHIGH

Estimated from weekend, tour day, laser-show night; this is not a live parking count.

TODAY’S CONDITIONS85°F · Sunny · sunset 7:00 PMLaser show in 3h 10m.
YOUR PLAN · PACIFIC TIME

In order

  1. 015:20 PM–5:50 PM PT

    Exterior dam view

    Step outside to connect the structures in the interactive photograph with the real dam and river.

  2. 025:50 PM–6:05 PM PT

    Understand what you are looking at

    Use the live tool and interactive dam photograph to understand the layout before walking the public areas.

PLANT TOUR

About one hour · free

  • John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant
  • First come, limited capacity
  • Security screening; leave bags in the vehicle
Official tour details ↗
ONE RIVER, MANY VOICES

About 30 minutes · free

  • Projected across the face of the dam
  • No ticket required
  • Schedule can change
Official show details ↗
TODAY AT GRAND COULEE

Today’s schedule

Times shown in Pacific Time

  1. NOW
  2. Visitor Center opens
  3. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  4. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  5. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  6. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  7. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  8. Guided pump-generating plant tour
  9. Visitor Center closes
  10. Sunset
  11. One River, Many Voices laser show
VISITOR WEATHER

85°F · Sunny

Wind
SW 5 mph
Rain chance
0%
This evening
82°F · Clear · S 3 mph
RECENT OPERATIONS

What changed?

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CHANGES
CHANGE

No meaningful change in this range.

QUICK ANSWERS

Before you go

How high is Lake Roosevelt right now?

The latest Grand Coulee forebay observation is 1,283.40 feet, 6.60 feet below the 1,290-foot full-pool reference. Reclamation's next midnight forecast is 1,283.7 feet for Sep 20.

Is Lake Roosevelt rising or falling today?

Lake Roosevelt is up 0.30 feet over the past 24 hours. Compared with seven days ago, it is up 3.10 feet.

How much water is moving through Grand Coulee right now?

Current Columbia River outflow below Grand Coulee is 67.3 kcfs. That is 50% above the recent 7-day average of 45.0 kcfs.

Can you tour Grand Coulee Dam?

In the verified 2026 schedule, Reclamation offers free John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant tours Friday through Sunday from May 22 through October 31. Tours are first come, first served and can change or be canceled without notice.

What time is the Grand Coulee laser show?

8:30 PM · approximately 30 minutes

DATA SOURCES & METHODOLOGY

Live data sources

USACE CWMS Data API · Grand Coulee operations

Current Lake Roosevelt elevation and Columbia River outflow are both publishing.

current
USACE CWMS Data API · Grand Coulee daily river context

Latest daily-average inflow and outflow. Daily observations use daily freshness rules rather than hourly telemetry thresholds.

current
USACE Water Control Manual · Grand Coulee tailwater rating curve

Used in the engineering view when measured tailwater is unavailable. Tailwater is interpolated from the official rating curve using current total outflow.

current
Bureau of Reclamation · Lake Roosevelt forecast

Official provisional/predicted midnight reservoir elevations, kept separate from the measured CWMS lake elevation.

current
USACE CROHMS · Grand Coulee daily

Reported daily generation and Banks Lake pumping data used for engineering calibration and context.

current
Bureau of Reclamation · Visitor Center and tours

2026 tour schedule is date-aware and is not reused for future years without verification.

current
Bureau of Reclamation · Laser light show

reported data

current
National Weather Service

reported data

current
Grand Coulee Live astronomy calculation

calculated data

current

Operational data may be provisional and subject to revision. GRAND COULEE LIVE is an independent public-information tool and is not operated by or affiliated with the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration or National Park Service.