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

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MERCED RIVER - YOSEMITE NP AT POHONO BRIDGE (POHC1)
Latitude: 37.72º NLongitude: 119.67º WElevation: 3862 Feet
Location: Mariposa County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: San JoaquinRiver Group: San Joaquin
Issuance Time: Jul 09 2025 at 7:48 AM PDTNext Issuance: Jul 10 2025 at 9:00 AM PDT
Action/Monitor: N/A Minor Flood: 10.0 FeetModerate Flood: 12.5 FeetMajor Flood: 20.0 Feet

Merced River - Yosemite NP at Pohono Bridge (POHC1)River Forecast Plot

Combination chart with 4 data series.
Forecast Posted: 07/09/2025 at 7:39 AM PDT ● Graphic Created: 07/09/2025 at 7:48 AM PDT
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Time. Range: 2025-07-04 14:00:00 to 2025-07-14 14:00:00.
The chart has 2 Y axes displaying Precipitation (In.) and Precipitation (In.).
End of interactive chart.

Chart

Combination chart with 7 data series.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying Observation / Forecast Time (Pacific Local Time). Range: 2025-07-04 07:00:00 to 2025-07-14 07:00:00.
The chart has 2 Y axes displaying Stage (Feet) and Flow (Cubic Feet per Second).
End of interactive chart.
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
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
2020
3,560
7.41
Apr 30, 2020
 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
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
23.45 FeetFlood of record...1/3/97. $178 million damage to Yosemite Valley.
13.6 FeetLift stations at Housekeeping Camp and Yosemite Creek flooded. Southside Drive at Chapel Meadow impassable.
12.5 FeetNorthside Drive at Wosky Pond, El Capitan crossover, and Sentinel crossover are impassable to vehicles.
12.0 FeetWater on road at Northside Drive, Southside Drive, El Capitan crossover, Sentinel crossover, and Highway 140 near Cookie Cliff.
11.4 FeetWater begins to overtop road curbs on Northside Drive. Swinging Bridge overtops.
10.0 FeetMerced River at Pohono Bridge begins to rise out of its banks. Flood Stage.
9.5 FeetLower Pines and Housekeeping Camp begin flooding.
7.0 FeetRIVER IS CLOSED TO RAFTERS AND FLOATATION DEVICES.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ324)
Tonight: Clear. Lows 57 to 65. Northeast winds up to 10 mph.

Thursday: Warmer, sunny. Highs 80 to 94. Southeast winds up to 10 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Clear. Lows 61 to 69. West winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the northeast after midnight.

Friday: Sunny. Highs 83 to 97. East winds up to 5 mph shifting to the west in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Clear. Lows 63 to 71. West winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the northeast after midnight.

Saturday through Monday: Clear. Highs 84 to 99. Lows 63 to 72.

Monday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 64 to 72.

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs 84 to 98.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 62 to 70.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs 82 to 96.
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.