CNRFC - Hydrology - River Guidance - Graphical RVF

Location:

MERCED RIVER - YOSEMITE NP AT POHONO BRIDGE (POHC1)

Latitude: 37.72º N	Longitude: 119.67º W	Elevation: 3862 Feet
Location: Mariposa County in California		Bulletin Group: San Joaquin		River Group: San Joaquin

Issuance Time:

Dec 27 2025 at 9:54 AM PST

Next Issuance:

Dec 28 2025 at 9:00 AM PST

Action/Monitor: N/A

Minor Flood: 10.0 Feet

Moderate Flood: 12.5 Feet

Major Flood: 20.0 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	3,430	7.28	May 11, 2025
2024	5,090	8.79	May 16, 2024
2023	9,520	12.08	May 22, 2023
2022	4,810	8.55	Oct 25 2021
2021	2,160	5.92	May 6, 2021
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1916 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1997	24,600	23.43	Jan 03, 1997
1956	23,400	21.52	Dec 23, 1955
1951	23,000	19.98	Nov 19, 1950
1938	22,000	19.10	Dec 11, 1937
1965	18,000	16.96	Dec 23, 1964
1963	13,200	14.25	Feb 01, 1963

Location Photographs
Upstream Photo	Gage House Photo	Downstream Photo

ESRI™ Locator Map

Flood Impacts
23.45 Feet	Flood of record...1/3/97. $178 million damage to Yosemite Valley.
13.6 Feet	Lift stations at Housekeeping Camp and Yosemite Creek flooded. Southside Drive at Chapel Meadow impassable.
12.5 Feet	Northside Drive at Wosky Pond, El Capitan crossover, and Sentinel crossover are impassable to vehicles.
12.0 Feet	Water on road at Northside Drive, Southside Drive, El Capitan crossover, Sentinel crossover, and Highway 140 near Cookie Cliff.
11.4 Feet	Water begins to overtop road curbs on Northside Drive. Swinging Bridge overtops.
10.0 Feet	Merced River at Pohono Bridge begins to rise out of its banks. Flood Stage.
9.5 Feet	Lower Pines and Housekeeping Camp begin flooding.
7.0 Feet	RIVER IS CLOSED TO RAFTERS AND FLOATATION DEVICES.

Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ324)

Today: Not as cool. Mostly sunny. Highs 44 to 52. Southeast winds up to 5 mph.

Tonight: Clear. Lows 28 to 38. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph.

Monday: Not as cool. Sunny. Highs 51 to 59. Northeast winds up to 10 mph.

Monday Night: Clear. Lows 34 to 44. East winds 5 to 15 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs 54 to 62. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows 36 to 46.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. A 30 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs 54 to 62.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain. Lows 37 to 47.

New Years Day through Friday: Rain likely. Highs 45 to 57. Lows 35 to 45. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Rain likely in the evening, then chance of rain and snow after midnight. Lows 33 to 41. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain and snow in the morning, then chance of rain in the afternoon. Highs 44 to 52. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.

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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