East Fork Carson River near Markleeville
Observed Mon, Sep 21, 11:30 PM PDT
- Flood stage
- 9.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 2.17 ftTue, Sep 22, 12:00 AM PDT
- Record crest
- 11.64 ft1997
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 11.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 10.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 9.00 ft |
| Action | 8.00 ft |
- 12.00 ftMajor impacts to transportation, communication, power and water systems. In excess of January 1997 event.
- 11.00 ftMajor Flood Stage. Major impact to transportation including Highways 89 and 4. Communication, water and power systems may be impacted. Significant inundation of low lying rangelands.
- 10.00 ftModerate Flood Stage. Moderate flooding impacting Carson River Resort campground, and potential for significant bank erosion causing road damage along Highways 89 and 4.
- 9.00 ftMinor Flood Stage. Minor flooding from Monitor Creek to Bryant Creek including impacts to river campgrounds and possible impacts to highway due to bank erosion. Similar to 1/8/17, 2/10/17 and 12/31/2005.
- 8.00 ftMonitor Stage. No flooding from from Monitor Creek to Bryant Creek, river near bankfull and may require precautionary measures to move resources away from the river. Additional impacts to recreational river users.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 21, 2026.
Crest history
13 crests on NOAA’s list since 1963.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 2, 1997 | 11.64 ft |
| 2 | January 31, 1963 | 10.72 ft |
| 3 | January 9, 2017 | 9.77 ft |
| 4 | December 31, 2005 | 9.33 ft |
| 5 | March 8, 1986 | 9.07 ft |
| 6 | December 23, 1964 | 8.93 ft |
| 7 | February 10, 2017 | 8.67 ft |
| 8 | May 15, 1996 | 8.59 ft |
| 9 | February 16, 1982 | 8.59 ft |
| 10 | January 13, 1980 | 8.53 ft |
| 11 | May 30, 1983 | 8.38 ft |
| 12 | April 7, 2018 | 8.15 ft |
| 13 | March 10, 1995 | 7.58 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 7, 2018: 8.15 ft
- February 10, 2017: 8.67 ft
- January 9, 2017: 9.77 ft
- December 31, 2005: 9.33 ft
- January 2, 1997: 11.64 ft
- May 15, 1996: 8.59 ft
- March 10, 1995: 7.58 ft
- March 8, 1986: 9.07 ft
- May 30, 1983: 8.38 ft
- February 16, 1982: 8.59 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the California Nevada River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Stage may be affected by ice during winter months. Reported historic crests have been estimated using recent ratings due to previous channel, location and/or datum changes. USGS observed crests can be found at: waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt Please also see Additional Information tab at the bottom of this page.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.