Rivers in California

Eel River (CA) near Scotia

Humboldt County, CaliforniaNWS SCOC1USGS 11477000Eureka office

Below flood stage
8.72ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 7:15 AM PDT

Flood stage
51.00 ft
Forecast crest
8.72 ftTue, Sep 22, 8:00 AM PDT
Record crest
72.00 ft1964

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood65.00 ft
Moderate flood60.00 ft
Minor flood51.00 ft
Action45.00 ft
  1. 74.00 ftExtensive and severe flooding throughout the river valley with major damage to roads, bridges and structures. There will be numerous road closures including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254) and US Highway 101.
  2. 72.00 ftExtensive and severe flooding of all areas adjacent to the river is expected with possible damage to roads, bridges and other structures. Expect many road closures including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254) and possibly US Highway 101.
  3. 67.00 ftExpect significant flooding in all areas near the river with numerous road closures, including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
  4. 62.00 ftFlooding of many low lying areas near the river is likely. Numerous closures along the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
  5. 55.00 ftFlooding of low lying areas near Shively is likely, along with possible closure of portions of the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
  6. 52.00 ftMinor flooding in the Shively area is possible.
  7. 50.00 ftFlooding of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell is likely. Occupants of the park will need to move their vehicles to higher ground.
  8. 48.00 ftFlooding of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell is expected. Occupants of the park may need to move their vehicles to higher ground.
  9. 46.00 ftMinor flooding is possible in the northern portion of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell. Occupants of the park need to be ready to move their vehicles to higher ground.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 27, 2024.

Crest history

61 crests on NOAA’s list since 1914.

#DateStage
1December 23, 196472.00 ft
2December 22, 195561.90 ft
3February 2, 191555.50 ft
4December 11, 193755.10 ft
5January 1, 199754.97 ft
6December 31, 200553.13 ft
7January 22, 191452.50 ft
8January 16, 197452.31 ft
9February 28, 194052.25 ft
10December 31, 199651.89 ft
11February 8, 196051.45 ft
12January 9, 199551.30 ft
13February 25, 191751.25 ft
14February 17, 198651.08 ft
15February 27, 201950.99 ft
16January 21, 194350.75 ft
17December 28, 200549.59 ft
18January 11, 201749.32 ft
19March 30, 197447.74 ft
20February 1, 196347.00 ft
21January 24, 197046.98 ft
22December 27, 195146.50 ft
23December 20, 198146.30 ft
24March 27, 192846.30 ft
25January 27, 198346.03 ft

Most recent crests

  • December 22, 2025: 45.00 ft
  • November 22, 2024: 41.84 ft
  • January 14, 2024: 33.12 ft
  • March 15, 2023: 40.49 ft
  • December 31, 2022: 39.88 ft
  • October 25, 2021: 27.57 ft
  • January 27, 2020: 23.66 ft
  • February 27, 2019: 50.99 ft
  • February 14, 2019: 37.50 ft
  • January 11, 2017: 49.32 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.

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.