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

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WEST FORK CARSON RIVER - WOODFORDS (WOOC1)
Latitude: 38.77º NLongitude: 119.83º WElevation: 5755 Feet
Location: Alpine County in CaliforniaRiver Group: Eastern Sierra
Issuance Time: Mar 22 2023 at 8:11 AM PDTNext Issuance: Mar 22 2023 at 3:00 PM PDT
Monitor Stage: 12.5 FeetFlood Stage: 13.5 Feet

Observed Data Credit
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Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
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Verification - Historical Graphical RVF
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Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year
Peak Discharge (cfs)
Stage (feet)
Date
 Most Recent 5 Years
2021*
241
11.56
May 7, 2021
2020*
615
12.70
Apr 30, 2020
2019*
1,140
13.42
Jun 7, 2019
2018*
2,750
14.38
Apr 7, 2018
2017*
2,380
14.16
May 5, 2017
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1938 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1997*
8,100
15.36
Jan 01, 1997
1963*
4,890
9.00
Feb 01, 1963
1956*
4,810
8.86**
Dec 23, 1955
1938*
3,500
8.00**
Dec 11, 1937
 * Discharge affected to unknown degree by regulation or diversion
 ** Prior to November 1958, gage at two different datums at the same location.
 *** November 1958 to January 1963, gage 150 ft downstream. Datum change with a difference of +3.06 ft must be applied to data in this time range to convert to current datum.
 **** March 1997, gage moved 200 ft upstream using same datum.
Location Photographs
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Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ072)
Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers. Lows 18 to 28. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Snow accumulation of 1 to 4 inches. Highs 31 to 41. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the afternoon. Ridge gusts up to 50 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Lows 11 to 21. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Ridge gusts up to 60 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy in the morning then becoming partly cloudy. Highs 30 to 40. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Ridge gusts up to 60 mph in the morning.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows 10 to 20. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs 29 to 34.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows 7 to 17.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs 28 to 33.

Sunday Night and Monday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Lows 13 to 23. Highs 32 to 37.

Monday Night through Wednesday: Brisk. Snow showers likely. Lows 15 to 25. Highs 32 to 42.
Impacts - E19 Information
12.5 FeetMonitoring Stage. No flooding occurs. However, residents along the West Fork Carson River should be prepared for flooding if there are additional rises expected due to snowmelt and/or rainfall runoff.
13.5 FeetFlood Stage. Minor flooding begins in lowest areas along the West Fork Carson River in southwest Carson Valley including agricultural areas, local roads, and outbuildings. Impacts will be more significant if heavy rain and/or snowmelt cause significant rises in small creeks draining the east side of the Carson Range below Woodfords. Possible lane closures on Highway 395 north of Stephanie Way if combined with flood flows on the East Fork. Similar to peak to February 2017 event.
14.0 FeetMinor flooding in the southwestern Carson Valley between Centerville and Genoa, impacting agricultural areas, local roads, and outbuildings. Impacts will be more significant if heavy rain and/or snowmelt cause significant rises in small creeks draining the east side of the Carson Range below Woodfords. Possible lane closures on Highway 395 north of Stephanie Way if combined with flood flows on the East Fork. Similar peak level to January 2017 event and May 2017 peak snowmelt.
14.5 FeetModerate flooding in southwest Carson Valley between Centerville and Genoa, with some damage to homes and businesses. Many local roads flooded in this area. Minor to moderate flooding in Alpine County, California, near Woodfords and Paynesville. Lane or road closures on Highway 395 north of Stephanie Way likely if combined with flood flows on the East Fork. Similar peak level to December 2005 event.
15.0 FeetMajor Flooding. Substantial damage to homes, businesses, schools, and property in south Carson Valley from Centerville to Genoa. Many local roads flood including Centerville, Mottsville, and Muller Lanes. Interruption of power, communications, and water systems. Major flooding also in Alpine County, California, near Woodfords and Paynesville. CA Highways 89 and 88, and NV Highway 88 flood. Downstream Hwy 395 floods.
15.5 FeetDisastrous, record flooding along entire reach of West Fork Carson River in both Alpine County, California, and Douglas County, Nevada. Extensive damage to homes, businesses, schools, roads, bridges, and irrigation systems. Communications, power, and transportation systems severely disrupted. Many highways, roads, and bridges impassable. Roughly Similar peak level to January 1997 event.
16.0 FeetRecord, disastrous flooding previously unknown on entire West Fork Carson River in southwest Douglas County, Nevada, and eastern Alpine County, California. Extensive damage to homes, businesses, schools, roads, bridges,water, and irrigation systems. Power, communications, and transportation systems severely affected. Most highways and bridges flooded or washed out. Exceeds record 1/1/1997 flood.
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 Reno 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.