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Latitude: 36.63º N | Longitude: 121.67º W | Elevation: 21 Feet | |
Location: Monterey County in California | River Group: Central Coast |
Issuance Time: | Mar 20 2023 at 2:19 PM PDT | Next Issuance: | Mar 21 2023 at 9:00 AM PDT |
Monitor Stage: 20.0 Feet | Flood Stage: 23.0 Feet |
Observed Data Credit | |
![]() | Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS). |
Historical Stage/Flow Data |
|||
Water Year
|
Peak Discharge (cfs)
|
Stage (feet)
|
Date
|
Most Recent 5 Years | |||
2021* |
2,470 |
12.94 |
Jan 30, 2021 |
2020* |
437 |
8.34 |
Apr 8, 2020 |
2019* |
6,370 |
17.88 |
Feb 16, 2019 |
2018* |
1,160 |
9.15 |
Mar 24, 2018 |
2017* |
11,100 |
19.92 |
Feb 22, 2017 |
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1929 to Present)** - Ranked by Flow | |||
1995* |
95,000 |
30.29 |
Mar 12, 1995 |
1969* |
83,100 |
26.51 |
Feb 26, 1969
|
1938 |
75,000*** |
25.00 |
Feb 12, 1938 |
1983* | 63,000 | 23.44 | Mar 3, 1983 |
1978* | 57,400 | 22.66 | Feb 11, 1978 |
* Discharge affected by regulation or diversion | |||
** Most recent continuous record back to Oct 1929 with segmented periods back to Jan 1900 | |||
*** Highest flow since regulation by Santa Margarita Lake began in 1941 | |||
**** No flow observed during the entire water year |
Location Photographs | ||
ESRI™ Locator Map |
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ528) |
Rest of Tonight: Breezy, rain. Lows in the mid 40s. Southeast winds around 5 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph after midnight. Tuesday: Breezy. Rain in the morning, then showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 50s. South winds 20 to 30 mph. Tuesday Night: Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then rain after midnight. Lows in the lower 40s. South winds 10 to 20 mph. Wednesday: Showers likely. Highs in the upper 50s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph and becoming west 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of showers 70 percent. Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the evening. Lows in the mid 40s. West winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of showers 30 percent. Thursday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s. Thursday Night and Friday: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. Highs in the mid 50s. Friday Night through Sunday: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Highs in the mid 50s. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. Monday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of rain. Highs in the upper 50s. |
Impacts - E19 Information | |
19.0 Feet | Minor lowland flooding of agricultural land can be expected. |
23.0 Feet | 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. |
24.0 Feet | Significant flooding of the lowest portions of agricultural land begins within the reach of the gage. River Road and Spreckels Boulevard begin to flood. |
26.0 Feet | Moderate flooding of agricultural land and lower portions of Soledad, Gonzales, Chular, 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. |
27.0 Feet | Moderate flooding continues along 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. |
28.0 Feet | Major flooding of agricultural land within the reach of the gages. Major flooding begins along lower portions of Soledad, Gonzales, Chular, 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. |
29.0 Feet | Major flooding continues along the entire reach. Possible evacuations of Soledad, Gonzales, Chular, 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. |
30.0 Feet | Disastrous floding 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. |
30.29 Feet | Flood 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. |
Product Disclaimer |
This river graphic is not intended to serve as a substitute for official flood watches, warnings, advisories, or statements issued by the NWS San Francisco Bay Area-Monterey Weather Forecast Office. Observations are preliminary and subject to change. River levels identified as "forecast" should be consistent with those contained in official NWS products. River levels identified as "guidance" have significant uncertainty due to future weather or reservoir regulation and are provided for planning purposes only. |