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 CaliforniaBulletin Group: Eastern SierraRiver Group: Eastern Sierra
Issuance Time: May 01 2025 at 7:46 AM PDTNext Issuance: May 02 2025 at 9:00 AM PDT
Action/Monitor: 12.5 FeetMinor Flood: 13.5 FeetModerate Flood: 14.5 FeetMajor Flood: 15.0 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
Water Year
Peak Discharge (cfs)
Stage (feet)
Date
 Most Recent 5 Years
2024*
678
13.12
Apr 23, 2024
2023*
1,940
14.02
May 19, 2023
2022*
1,180
13.51
Oct 25, 2021
2021*
241
11.56
May 7, 2021
2020*
615
12.70
Apr 30, 2020
 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
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
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.
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.
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.
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.
13.5 FeetMinor flooding begins in lowest areas along the West Fork of the Carson River in southwest Carson Valley including agricultural areas, local roads and outbuildings. Residents along the river should prepare for more serious flooding if there are additional rises expected due to snowmelt and/or rainfall runoff. Impacts will be more significant if heavy rain and/or snowmelt causes significant rises in small creeks draining the east side of the Carson Range below Woodfords. Similar to peak of Feb 2017 event.
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.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ072)
Tonight: Clear. Lows 36 to 46. Light winds.

Friday: Sunny in the morning, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level rising above 10000 feet. Highs 61 to 71. Light winds becoming southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then slight chance of showers after midnight. Snow level 10000 feet lowering to 9000 feet. Lows 32 to 37. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers in the morning, then chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level 8500 feet. Highs 50 to 60. Light winds becoming southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then chance of showers after midnight. Snow level 7500 to 8000 feet. Lows 31 to 41. West winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Highs 45 to 55.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers in the evening. Lows 32 to 42.

Monday and Monday Night: Clear. Highs 54 to 64. Lows 36 to 46.

Tuesday through Wednesday Night: Clear. Highs 62 to 72. Lows 37 to 47.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. Highs 63 to 73.
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.