CNRFC - Hydrology - River Guidance - Graphical RVF

Start of River Group

Location:

KERN RIVER - KERNVILLE (KRVC1)

Latitude: 35.75º N	Longitude: 118.42º W	Elevation: 2637 Feet
Location: Kern County in California		Bulletin Group: San Joaquin		River Group: Tulare

Issuance Time:

Jan 05 2026 at 7:40 PM PST

Next Issuance:

Jan 06 2026 at 9:00 AM PST

Action/Monitor: 12.5 Feet

Minor Flood: 13.5 Feet

Moderate Flood: 17.0 Feet

Major Flood: 20.0 Feet

Please Note:

Raw observed data may be unreliable due to gauge damage and river bank erosion sustained during the recent 2023 floods. This may increase forecast uncertainty.

Plot Type:

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
	Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers. View US Army Corps of Engineers Data for this station location.

Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year	Peak Discharge (cfs)	Stage (feet)	Date
Most Recent 5 Years
2025	2,729	6.13	May 12, 2025
2024	3,800	7.09	May 18, 2024
2023	41,400	17.77	Mar 10, 2023
2022	1,990	7.49	Dec 24, 2021
2021	787	6.17	May 8, 2021
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Jan 2010 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1967	74,000	19.32	Dec 06, 1966
2023	41,400	17.77	Mar 10, 2023
1951	38,700	18.4	Nov 19, 1950
1956	29,400	16.2	Dec 23, 1955
1963	28,800	16.76	Feb 01, 1963
1969	26,900	14.0	Jan 25, 1969

Location Photographs
Upstream Photo	Gage House Photo	Downstream Photo

ESRI™ Locator Map

Flood Impacts
13.5 Feet	Kern River adjacent to Riverside Park begins to escape its banks, flooding the lower park sidewalk. This is Preliminary Flood Stage.

Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ332)

Today: Partly sunny in the morning then clearing. Highs in the mid 50s. East winds up to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows 32 to 38. East winds up to 5 mph shifting to the northwest after midnight.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. West winds up to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Highs 45 to 51. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night and Friday: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s. Highs in the lower 50s.

Friday Night and Saturday: Clear. Lows in the mid 30s. Highs in the upper 50s.

Saturday Night and Sunday: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Highs 59 to 65.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 40.

Monday: Sunny. Highs 59 to 65.

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 Joaquin Valley-Hanford 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.

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Verification - Historical Graphical RVF
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