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

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MAD RIVER - ARCATA (ARCC1)
Latitude: 40.91º NLongitude: 124.06º WElevation: 13 Feet
Location: Humboldt County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: North CoastRiver Group: North Coast
Issuance Time: Apr 29 2025 at 7:36 AM PDTNext Issuance: Apr 30 2025 at 9:00 AM PDT
Action/Monitor: 15.0 FeetMinor Flood: 22.0 FeetModerate Flood: 24.0 FeetMajor Flood: 28.0 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
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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
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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
53,900
27.26
Jan 13, 2024
2023
33,500
22.27
Dec 30, 2022
2022
10,500
13.20
Jan 5, 2022
2021
13,000
14.28
Feb 15, 2021
2020
12,500
14.10
Jan 26, 2020
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Aug 1950 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1964
81,000
30.70
Dec 22, 1964
1956
80,000
--
Dec 22, 1955
1953
75,000
--
Jan 17, 1953
1996
54,700
24.17
Dec 30, 1995
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
33.0 FeetDisastrous flooding of all areas near the river from Blue Lake to the mouth. The river is forecast to exceed record levels. All roads in the vicinity of the river are likely to be innundated and travel will be severly restricted. Residents should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. This would include homes in Blue Lake, Tyee City and the Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 between Arcata and Mckinleyville.
32.0 FeetDisastrous flooding of all areas near the river from Blue Lake to the mouth. The river is forecast to approach record levels. All roads in the vicinity of the river are likely to be innundated and travel will be severly restricted. Residents should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. This would include homes in Blue Lake, Tyee City and the Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 between Arcata and Mckinleyville.
30.0 FeetExtensive, severe flooding of all low lying areas near the river from Blue Lake downstream to the mouth. Residents in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. Critical locations include residential areas of Blue Lake, Tyee City, and the Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 near Janes Road and areas near Giuntoli Lane.
28.0 FeetSevere flooding of all low lying areas near the river from Blue Lake downstream to the mouth. Residents in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. This includes residential areas of Tyee City and the Arcata Bottoms, US Highway 101 near Janes Road, areas near Giuntoli Lane, and Mad River Beach Road.
26.0 FeetSevere flooding along Mad River Beach Road and extensive flooding of farmlands and other roads in the area. Flooding of residential areas around Tyee City is likely. Any low lying areas near the river could be flooded. Residents in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property.
24.0 FeetExtensive flooding along Mad River Beach Road and adjacent farmlands. Some homes along the river could be threatened. Flooding of roads to Tyee City. High tides and strong onshore winds will enhance flood impacts.
23.0 FeetSignificant flooding of portions of Mad River Beach Road and adjacent farmlands is likely. May cause water to flow across roads to Tyee City. High tides and strong, onshore winds will aggravate flood impacts.
22.0 FeetSignificant flooding of portions of Mad River Beach Road. Water may flow across roads to Tyee City. Flood impacts will be aggravated by high tides and strong, onshore winds.
21.0 FeetFlooding of Mad River Beach Road. Water may be flowing over roads to Tyee City. Flooding will be enhanced if the time of the crest is coincident with high tides and strong onshore winds.
18.0 FeetMinor flooding of Mad River Beach Road near Tyee City.
15.0 FeetMinor flooding begins on the Mad River Beach Road near Tyee City.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ103)
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog overnight. Lows 40 to 50. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then clearing. Highs 57 to 67. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 39 to 49. Northwest wind around 10 mph shifting to the northeast overnight.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Highs 58 to 72. North wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Patchy fog. Lows 40 to 50. North wind around 5 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog. Chance of rain showers. Highs 57 to 67. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Cloudy. Rain showers likely. Lows 40 to 50.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Highs 49 to 59.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 37 to 47.

Sunday and Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Highs 52 to 62. Lows 37 to 47.

Monday and Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Highs 56 to 66. Lows 38 to 48.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs 57 to 67.
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.