Rivers in Nevada

Humboldt River at Comus

Humboldt County, NevadaNWS CMSN2USGS 10327500Elko office

Below flood stage
1.30ftStage

Observed Sun, Sep 20, 7:15 AM PDT

Flood stage
9.50 ft
Forecast crest
1.29 ftSat, Sep 19, 5:00 PM PDT
Record crest
12.25 ft1984

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood11.50 ft
Moderate flood10.50 ft
Minor flood9.50 ft
Action8.50 ft
  1. 12.50 ftNear record to record flooding in Humboldt County. Most secondary roads near the river, bridges over some primary roads, long stretches of rail and many ranch buildings flood. The river is 2-5 miles wide through Humboldt County. Winnemucca is flooded between the UPRR on the west and Second Street on the east. The U.S. Highway 95 bridge in Winnemucca may be affected. Many homes and businesses flood in Winnemucca. Large losses of livestock in the area. Similar to the record flood of April 1984.
  2. 12.00 ftMajor flooding, including in Winnemucca. All secondary roads, stretches of rail and some ranch buildings near the river flood. The river is 2-4 miles wide through Humboldt county. Lower parts of Winnemucca flood between the UPPR and Golconda Street on the west and Second Street on the east, but not including Interstate 80. Approximately a dozen homes and several businesses are affected. Large losses of livestock in the area. Greater than the flood of 1952 but not as severe as the record flood of 1984.
  3. 11.50 ftMajor Flood Stage. Major flooding throughout the reach, except moderate flooding in lower portions of Winnemucca. Many rural roads near the river are flooded. Main area impacted is between the Union Pacific Railroad and Golconda Street on the west and Second Street on the east, but not including Interstate 80. Homes and basements begin to experience flooding. This would be similar to the floods of June 1983 and April 2017.
  4. 11.00 ftModerate to major lowland flooding throughout the reach. Many rural roads near the river are flooded. Minor to moderate flooding occurs in lower portions of Winnemucca. Main area impacted is between the Union Pacific Railroad and Golconda Street on the west and Second Street on the east, beneath Interstate 80. This would be similar to flooding in February 2017 and early June 2023.
  5. 10.50 ftModerate Flood Stage. Moderate lowland flooding throughout the reach, with some rural roads flooded. Minor flooding in the lower parts of Winnemucca with storm drain backups along First and Second Streets. Main area impacted is between the Union Pacific Railroad and Second street beneath Interstate 80. Property damage in Winnemucca is minimal.
  6. 10.00 ftMinor to moderate lowland flooding throughout the reach. Some rural roads near the river begin to flood. Very minor flooding begins in Winnemucca with storm drain backups along First Street, and the lowest parts of town begin to flood.
  7. 9.50 ftMinor Flood Stage. Minor lowland flooding throughout the reach. No flooding in Winnemucca.
  8. 9.00 ftVery minor lowland flooding along the reach. No flooding in Winnemucca.
  9. 8.50 ftAction Stage. Some very minor flooding occurs at scattered locations along the reach. No flooding occurs in Winnemucca.
  10. 8.00 ftNo flooding in the reach.
  11. 7.50 ftNo flooding in the reach.
  12. 7.00 ftNo flooding in the reach.

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 20, 2026.

Crest history

29 crests on NOAA’s list since 1917.

#DateStage
1April 24, 198412.25 ft
2April 16, 200611.78 ft
3June 14, 198311.76 ft
4May 28, 199811.62 ft
5May 6, 195211.52 ft
6May 28, 200511.44 ft
7March 31, 201711.29 ft
8June 15, 201911.17 ft
9June 18, 199510.87 ft
10June 4, 202310.80 ft
11May 27, 197510.79 ft
12June 15, 198010.73 ft
13April 18, 196910.64 ft
14June 3, 197110.56 ft
15February 28, 198610.52 ft
16April 3, 199310.39 ft
17June 21, 199710.20 ft
18July 3, 201110.14 ft
19February 21, 19629.91 ft
20June 13, 19999.54 ft
21April 15, 19859.47 ft
22April 23, 19829.42 ft
23July 3, 19639.39 ft
24May 31, 19969.25 ft
25June 24, 19579.21 ft

Most recent crests

  • June 4, 2023: 10.80 ft
  • June 15, 2019: 11.17 ft
  • March 31, 2017: 11.29 ft
  • July 3, 2011: 10.14 ft
  • April 16, 2006: 11.78 ft
  • May 28, 2005: 11.44 ft
  • June 13, 1999: 9.54 ft
  • May 28, 1998: 11.62 ft
  • June 21, 1997: 10.20 ft
  • May 31, 1996: 9.25 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.