National Weather Service California Nevada River Forecast Center Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service

*** IMPORTANT ***  Week of June 16 - Website Data Outage - Due to a major computer upgrade the week of June 16, nearly all data on the CNRFC web site will not be updated. We anticipate the down time to be approximately 4 days. The latest deterministic hydrologic forecasts for official forecast points will continue to be available at the National Water Prediction Service during this time.
 | 

SMITH RIVER - DOCTOR FINE BRIDGE (FTDC1)
Latitude: 41.88º NLongitude: 124.14º WElevation: 0 Feet
Location: Del Norte County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: North CoastRiver Group: North Coast
Issuance Time: Jun 16 2025 at 6:07 AM PDTNext Issuance: Jun 17 2025 at 9:00 AM PDT
Action/Monitor: 27.0 FeetMinor Flood: 33.0 FeetModerate Flood: 36.0 FeetMajor Flood: 39.0 Feet

Please Note:
1) Each individual timeseries plotted on the graphical river forecast can be toggled on and off by clicking the legend entry above. If the "Observed (Raw Data)" contains bad data and is toggled off, the plot will scale to the remaining timeseries.

2) At extremely low river flows, the "Observed (Raw Data)" may show readings below the lower end of the available rating table, while the "Observed (Simulated)" will only show values at the bottom of the rating table, creating a potential discrepancy between the two readings.
Observed Data Credit
Gage owner logo

Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
View US Geological Survey (USGS) Data for this station location.

Verification - Historical Graphical RVF
Month:  
Day:  
Year:  
Cycle:  
To view other verification locations, use our Historical Graphical River Forecast Interface.
Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year
Peak Discharge (cfs)
Stage (feet)
Date
 Most Recent 5 Years
2024
161,000*
35.04
Jan 13, 2024
2023
81,800*
29.72
Mar 13, 2023
2022
40,100*
24.67
Jan 4, 2022
2021
91,700*
30.59
Jan 13, 2021
2020
49,500*
26.14
Jan 26, 2020
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1950 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1965
207,000*
39.50
Dec 22, 1964
1956
176,500*
37.40
Dec 22, 1955
1972
173,700*
37.20
Mar 03, 1972
1951
170,000*
36.90
Oct 29, 1950
 * Estimated flow (Not Official)
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
40.0 FeetMany roads and structures in the vicinity of the river are likely to be threatened. Significant flooding expected along US Highways 101 and 199, South Bank Rd, and in low lying areas between Lake Earl and the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive.
38.0 FeetExpect flooding of portions of Highway 197 and South Bank Rd in the vicinity of US Highway 101. Flooding is also expected in low lying areas between Lake Earl and the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive. Some access roads and homes in this area may be flooded.
36.0 FeetFlooding of South Bank Rd in the vicinity of US Highway 101 is likely. Water can flow across low-lying areas into Lake Earl about 4 miles south of the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive. Some low-lying residential access roads may flood.
33.0 FeetFlooding is likely near the gravel plant and on South Bank Road in the vicinity of US Highway 101. Water may flow across low-lying areas into Lake Earl about 4 miles south of the river, including areas along lower Lake Drive.
31.0 FeetMinor flooding may occur around the gravel plant near US Highway 101 and South Bank Road approximately 1 mile upstream from Doctor Fine Bridge.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ101)
Today: Cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs 56 to 66. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog overnight. Lows 41 to 51. Northwest wind around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs 59 to 69. Light winds becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 45 to 55. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs 59 to 72. Northwest wind around 15 mph.

Wednesday Night through Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 42 to 52. Highs 59 to 72.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs 55 to 65.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Chance of rain showers. Lows 42 to 52.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs 54 to 64.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 41 to 51.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs 59 to 69.
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 Eureka 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.