CNRFC - Hydrology - River Guidance - Graphical RVF

Location:

REDWOOD CREEK - ORICK (ORIC1)

Latitude: 41.30º N	Longitude: 124.05º W	Elevation: 5 Feet
Location: Humboldt County in California		Bulletin Group: North Coast		River Group: North Coast

Issuance Time:

Jan 07 2026 at 7:06 AM PST

Next Issuance:

Jan 07 2026 at 3:00 PM PST

Action/Monitor: 26.0 Feet

Minor Flood: 32.0 Feet

Moderate Flood: 35.0 Feet

Major Flood: 37.0 Feet

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 Geological Survey (USGS). View US Geological Survey (USGS) Data for this station location.

Historical Stage/Flow Data
Note: Water Year 2025 is currently showing peak daily mean values. These will be updated to instantaneous peaks in the coming months.
Water Year	Peak Discharge (cfs)	Stage (feet)	Date
Most Recent 5 Years
2025	20,116	23.41	Dec 29, 2024
2024	42,700	30.06	Jan 13, 2024
2023	19,600	23.23	Dec 31, 2022
2022	7,890	18.12	Jan 4, 2022
2021	8,710	18.40	Feb 15, 2021
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1953 to Present)* - Ranked by Flow
1965	50,500**	24.00	Dec 22, 1964
1975	50,200	23.82	Mar 18, 1975
1956	50,000**	23.95	Dec 22, 1955
1953	50,000**	23.95	Jan 18, 1953
1972	49,700	23.67	Mar 3, 1972
2024	42,700	30.06	Jan 13, 2024
* Most recent continuous record back to Oct 1953 with segmented periods back to Sep 1911
** Old datum. The difference is -0.44 ft and must be applied to data to convert to new datum.

Location Photographs
Upstream Photo	Gage House Photo	Downstream Photo

ESRI™ Locator Map

Flood Impacts
35.0 Feet	People in Orick should evacuate outside of the Orick Valley immediately. The river is at the top of the levee (or overtopping) near the Shoreline Fuel Mart on the left/south bank & Hufford Road on the right/north bank. The levee protecting Orick is at imminent risk for failure. Levee failure will cause catastrophic flooding outside the levees, creating major safety hazards and inundating homes & businesses across Orick. Floodwaters will make portions of Highway 101 and other local roads impassable.
33.0 Feet	People in Orick should be ready to evacuate outside the Orick valley. Time for a safe evacuation becomes critically short, especially for people who need more time or have limited mobility. Follow direction of public safety and emergency response officials. The river is within 2 feet from the top of levee near the Shoreline Fuel Mart on the left/south bank & Hufford Raod on the right/north bank. The levee protecting the town of Orick has an elevated risk of failure.
32.0 Feet	People in areas protected by the levee within Orick should closely monitor river forecasts & be prepared to evacuate outside the Orick valley if water levels are predicted to continue to rising. People who need more time to evacuate, especially those with limited mobility, should consider taking early action. The river is within 3 feet from the top of the levee near the Shoreline Fuel Mart on the left/south bank & Hufford Road on the right/north bank. The levee protecting Orick is at risk for failure.
26.0 Feet	Officials responsible for the levees & emergency response begin patrolling to look for problem areas that can threaten the integrity of the levee such as seepage, boils, erosion, debris jams, cracks, or sloughing. Closely monitor precipitation forecasts & river forecasts (stage & flow) & be aware of the potential for rising water levels.

Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ103)

Today: Slight chance of rain in the morning, then rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 46 to 56. West wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then chance of rain overnight. Lows 32 to 42. North wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain in the morning. Highs 45 to 55. North wind up to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 29 to 39. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs 51 to 61. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Haze. Lows 34 to 44.

Saturday through Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Highs 50 to 62. Lows 34 to 44.

Sunday Night through Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Lows 36 to 46. Highs 52 to 66.

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.

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