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

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SAN JOAQUIN RIVER - VERNALIS (VNSC1)
Latitude: 37.68º NLongitude: 121.27º WElevation: 35 Feet
Location: San Joaquin County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: San JoaquinRiver Group: San Joaquin
Issuance Time: Jan 22 2026 at 1:12 PM PSTNext Issuance: Jan 23 2026 at 9:00 AM PST
Action/Monitor: 24.5 FeetMinor Flood: 29.0 FeetModerate Flood: 32.0 FeetMajor Flood: 37.3 Feet

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
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* 4,9400 12.97 Mar 20, 2025
2024* 10,300 18.12 Mar 6, 2024
2023* 34,400 29.82 Mar 19, 2023
2022* 2,600 10.83 Dec 29, 2021
2021* 2,470 10.76 Jan 31, 2021
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Jul 1922 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1951* 79,000 27.75 Dec 09, 1950
1997* 75,600 34.88 Jan 05, 1997
1969* 52,600 34.55 Jan 27, 1969
1938* 51,200 26.64 Mar 16, 1938
1956* 50,900 26.89 Dec 25, 1955
1983* 45,100 31.49 Mar 07, 1983
 * Discharge affected by regulation or diversion
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
37.29 FeetStages above 37.3 feet results in flooding outside the levees. Top of levee.
29.6 FeetHomes along east bank of river on Airport Court in Manteca experience flooding.
26.0 FeetSevere seepage occurs outside the levees. The area covered by seepage will increase as the river stage rises.
24.5 FeetMonitor Stage - water reaches the toe of levee.
21.0 FeetSeepage begins into crop area outside of levees.
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 Sacramento 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.