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



SAN LORENZO RIVER - BIG TREES (BTEC1)
Latitude: 37.04º NLongitude: 122.07º WElevation: 227 Feet
Location: Santa Cruz County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: Central CoastRiver Group: Salinas/Pajaro
Issuance Time: Jun 12, 2026 at 8:13 AM PDT
Action/Monitor: 14.0 FeetMinor Flood: 16.5 FeetModerate Flood: 19.5 FeetMajor Flood: 21.76 Feet
Please Note:Ensemble forecasts produced by CNRFC only consider meteorological uncertainty and do not account for hydrologic uncertainty.
Threshold Exceedance Plot                  Product Information        CSV Ensemble Files (Data in kcfs):  Forecast Group  |  BTEC1

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What information is considered in this forecast?
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Flood Impacts
21.76 FeetMajor Flooding. At approximately 21.76 feet discharge in the San Lorenzo River is approximately 15,000 cfs. Major flooding in the Felton Grove neighborhood occurs at this stage, with roadways several feet deep and waters inundating the approaches to the Felton Covered Bridge. Felton Covered Bridge Park begins to experience widespread flooding at shallow depths. At 15,000 cfs, the City of Santa Cruz downstream will experience more serious flooding. The flood wave may take 2-3 hours to reach Santa Cruz.
19.5 FeetModerate Flooding. The St. Bernard Street area in Paradise Park is under several feet of water, with below grade floodplain infrastructure several feet deeper. St. Augustine Avenue neighborhood in Paradise Park begins to flood. Flooding imminent or already occurring in the Felton Grove neighborhood. Ground stories, first floors, and garages flooded. Felton Covered Bridge Park begins to flood.
16.5 FeetMinor Flooding. Flooding is either imminent or already occurring in Paradise Park, with initial flooding in the St. Bernard Street area.
14.0 FeetMonitor Stage. Stage can rise rapidly on the San Lorenzo River, up to several feet per hour. Approximately 2.5 feet below flood levels in Paradise Park and approximately 5.5 feet below flood stage in Felton Grove.