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: Apr 18 2024 at 7:21 AM PDTNext Issuance: Apr 19 2024 at 9:00 AM PDT
Monitor Stage: 14.0 FeetFlood Stage: 16.5 Feet

Please Note: 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.
Observed Data Credit
Gage owner logo

Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
View 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
2022 5,600 16.06 Dec 13, 2021
2021
1,750 9.11 Jan 28, 2021
2020
2,170
8.88
Dec 7, 2019
2019
8,850
16.88
Jan 17, 2019
2018
3,570
12.06
Mar 22, 2018
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1936 to Present)* - Ranked by Flow
1956
30,400
22.55**
Dec 23, 1955
1982
29,700
28.85
Jan 5, 1982
1940 24,000 21.10** Feb 27, 1940
2023
20,500
24.54
Jan 9, 2023
1986 19,800 21.22 Feb 17, 1986
 * Low flow partially regulated by Loch Lomond Reservoir since 1961, and inflatable fiber dam located 500 ft upstream from gauge. Many small diversions upstream from station for domestic supply.
 ** Unknown old datum.
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Impacts - E19 Information
14.0 FeetStage 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.
16.5 FeetFlooding is either imminent or already occurring in Paradise Park with initial flooding in the St Bernard Street area.
19.5 FeetThe 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 is imminent or already occurring in the Felton Grove neighborhood. Ground stories, first floors, and garages flooded. Felton Covered Bridge Park begins to flood.
21.76 FeetMajor 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. The city of Santa Cruz downstream will experience more serious flooding. The flood wave may take 2-3 hours to reach Santa Cruz.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ512)
Rest of Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 40s. South winds up to 5 mph.

Friday: Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs in the 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs in the upper 50s to lower 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs in the 60s to lower 70s.

Sunday Night and Monday: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.

Tuesday through Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the 50s to lower 60s. Lows in the mid 40s.
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.