Rivers in California
Merced River at Pohono Bridge
Below flood stage
1.01ftStage
Observed Sun, Sep 27, 5:00 PM PDT
- Flood stage
- 10.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.02 ftTue, Sep 29, 9:00 AM PDT
- Record crest
- 23.43 ft1997
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 20.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 12.50 ft |
| Minor flood | 10.00 ft |
- 23.45 ftFlood of record...1/3/97. $178 million damage to Yosemite Valley.
- 13.60 ftLift stations at Housekeeping Camp and Yosemite Creek flooded. Southside Drive at Chapel Meadow impassable.
- 12.50 ftNorthside Drive at Wosky Pond, El Capitan crossover, and Sentinel crossover are impassable to vehicles.
- 12.00 ftWater on road at Northside Drive, Southside Drive, El Capitan crossover, Sentinel crossover, and Highway 140 near Cookie Cliff.
- 11.40 ftWater begins to overtop road curbs on Northside Drive. Swinging Bridge overtops.
- 10.00 ftMerced River at Pohono Bridge begins to rise out of its banks. Flood Stage.
- 9.50 ftLower Pines and Housekeeping Camp begin flooding.
- 7.00 ftRIVER IS CLOSED TO RAFTERS AND FLOATATION DEVICES.
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 27, 2024.
Crest history
18 crests on NOAA’s list since 1937.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 3, 1997 | 23.43 ft |
| 2 | December 23, 1955 | 21.52 ft |
| 3 | November 19, 1950 | 20.98 ft |
| 4 | December 11, 1937 | 20.10 ft |
| 5 | December 23, 1964 | 16.96 ft |
| 6 | April 11, 1982 | 13.11 ft |
| 7 | January 13, 1980 | 13.01 ft |
| 8 | May 16, 2005 | 12.54 ft |
| 9 | May 30, 1983 | 12.10 ft |
| 10 | May 22, 2023 | 12.08 ft |
| 11 | June 18, 1983 | 11.62 ft |
| 12 | June 5, 1995 | 10.70 ft |
| 13 | June 9, 1978 | 10.19 ft |
| 14 | June 13, 1996 | 10.14 ft |
| 15 | February 16, 1982 | 9.91 ft |
| 16 | May 31, 2003 | 9.56 ft |
| 17 | May 14, 1984 | 8.94 ft |
| 18 | January 1, 2023 | 8.05 ft |
Most recent crests
- May 22, 2023: 12.08 ft
- January 1, 2023: 8.05 ft
- May 16, 2005: 12.54 ft
- May 31, 2003: 9.56 ft
- January 3, 1997: 23.43 ft
- June 13, 1996: 10.14 ft
- June 5, 1995: 10.70 ft
- May 14, 1984: 8.94 ft
- June 18, 1983: 11.62 ft
- May 30, 1983: 12.10 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
- DownstreamMerced River at Stevinson
- Merced River at Happy Isles
- Tenaya Creek at Yosemite NP At Tenaya Bridge
- South Fork Merced River at Wawona
- Lewis Fork at Big Creek Diversion Near Fish Camp
- Robinson Creek (CA) at Twin Lakes
- Green Creek (CA) at Bridgeport
- Deadman Creek (CA) at Big Springs
- Buckeye Creek (CA) at Bridgeport
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.