Salinas River near Spreckels

1. 30.29 ftFLOOD OF RECORD, March 12, 1995, 95,000 cfs. Disastrous flood damage to roads and agriculture land in the Salinas Valley. The city of Salinas in danger of being inundated, with the lowest portions of the city beginning to flood. Historical Note: at least 2,000 acres of agricultural land were permanently destroyed by erosion and soil deposition by this flood of record.
2. 30.00 ftDisastrous flooding within the reach of the gage. Major damage to Southern Pacific Railroad near Castroville and Spreckels. Castroville residences and businesses from Merritt Street toward the Salinas River inundated. Disastrous flooding to farm land in the Salinas Valley, including severe damage due to erosion and sediment deposition. At least 100,000 acres inundated. Travel in the Salinas Valley near impossible. Water/sewage treatment plants flooded.
3. 29.00 ftMajor flooding continues along the entire reach. Possible evacuations of Soledad, Gonzales, Chualar, Spreckels, and Castroville. All roads to Spreckels inundated, isolating the town. US 101 inundated just north of Soledad. Highway 1 south of Castroville near Nashua Road begins to flood.
4. 28.00 ftMajor Flood Stage. Major flooding of agricultural land within the reach of the gages. Major flooding begins along lower portions of Soledad, Gonzales, Chualar, Spence, Spreckels and Castroville. Water/sewage treatment plants in danger of being flooded. Many secondary and some primary roads inundated making travel difficult in the Salinas Valley. Highway 156 and 68 inundated and closed. Major damage to wide expanses of agricultural land in the Salinas Valley with 40,000 acres inundated.
5. 27.00 ftModerate flooding continues along the reach. Approaches to river bridges within the reach begin to erode. Lower portions of Castroville begin to flood. Highway 156 near Castroville begins to flood. Flooding to Foster Road, 1 mile of Salinas.
6. 26.00 ftModerate Flood Stage. Moderate flooding of agricultural land and lower portions of Soledad, Gonzales, Chualar, Spence and Spreckels. Primary and secondary roads begin to flood within the reach. Highway 68 begins to flood. Levees in danger of breaching along the reach. At least 20,000 acres of farm land inundated in the Salinas Valley.
7. 24.00 ftSignificant flooding of the lowest portions of agricultural land begins within the reach of the gage. River Road and Spreckels Boulevard begin to flood.
8. 23.00 ftMinor Flood Stage. A few farm residences will begin to flood near the Salinas River along the reach of the gage. River Road will begin to flood near Spreckels.
9. 19.00 ftAction Stage. Minor lowland flooding of agricultural land can be expected.

Most recent crests

• March 25, 2023: 21.70 ft
• March 17, 2023: 25.94 ft
• March 13, 2023: 26.89 ft
• January 18, 2023: 22.83 ft
• January 13, 2023: 24.63 ft
• December 29, 2021: 9.24 ft
• January 30, 2021: 12.94 ft
• April 8, 2020: 8.34 ft
• February 16, 2019: 17.88 ft
• March 24, 2018: 9.15 ft

• UpstreamSalinas River at Chualar
• DownstreamSalinas River Lagoon
• Reclamation Ditch at Salinas
• Carmel River at Robles Del Rio
• Monterey Bay Tide gage at Tide gage
• Carmel River at Carmel
• San Clemente Dam
• Carmel River at Highway 1

Forecasts by the California Nevada River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round.

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.