CNRFC - Hydrology - Observed River/Reservoir Conditions

MAD RIVER - ARCATA (ARCC1)

Latitude: 40.91º N	Longitude: 124.06º W	Elevation: 13 Feet
Location: Humboldt County in California		River Group: North Coast

Monitor Stage: 15.0 Feet

Flood Stage: 22.0 Feet

Observed Data Credit
	Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS). View USGS Data for this station location.

Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year	Peak Discharge (cfs)	Stage (feet)	Date
Most Recent 5 Years
2021	13,000	14.28	Feb 15, 2021
2020	12,500	14.10	Jan 26, 2020
2019	38,900	23.92	Feb 27, 2019
2018	15,800	14.78	Apr 7, 2018
2017	29,600	19.82	Jan 10, 2017
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Aug 1950 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1964	81,000	30.70	Dec 22, 1964
1956	80,000	--	Dec 22, 1955
1953	75,000	--	Jan 17, 1953
1996	54,700	24.17	Dec 30, 1995

Location Photographs
Upstream Photo	Gage House Photo	Downstream Photo

ESRI™ Locator Map

Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ103)

Today: Cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Breezy. Highs 54 to 64. Southeast wind 15 to 25 mph.

Tonight: Rain in the evening, then rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms overnight. Lows 38 to 48. South wind 10 to 20 mph.

Sunday: Slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning. Rain showers likely through the day. Highs 45 to 55. Southwest wind around 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Lows 32 to 42. North wind 5 to 15 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny. Patchy fog and frost. Highs 47 to 57. North wind around 15 mph.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows 33 to 43.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs 51 to 61.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Lows 34 to 44.

Wednesday and Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Highs 51 to 61. Lows 33 to 43.

Thursday and Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Highs 56 to 66. Lows 33 to 43.

Friday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs 56 to 66.

Impacts - E19 Information
15.0 Feet	Minor flooding begins on the Mad River Beach Road near Tyee City.
18.0 Feet	Minor flooding on Mad River Beach Road near Tyee City.
21.0 Feet	Flooding of Mad River Beach Road. Water may be flowing over roads to Tyee City. Flooding will be enhanced if the time of the crest is coincident with high tides and strong onshore winds.
22.0 Feet	Significant flooding of portions of Mad River Beach Road. Water may flow across roads to Tyee City. Flood impacts will be aggravated by high tides and strong onshore winds.
23.0 Feet	Significant flooding of portions of Mad River Beach Road and adjacent farm lands is likely. May cause water to flow across roads to Tyee City. High tides and strong onshore winds will aggravate flood impacts.
24.0 Feet	Extensive flooding along Mad River Beach Road and adjacent farm lands. Some homes along the river could be threatened. Flooding of roads to Tyee City. High tides and strong onshore winds worsen impacts.
26.0 Feet	Severe flooding along Mad River Beach Road and extensive flooding of farm lands and other roads in the area. Flooding of residential areas around Tyee City is likely. Any low-lying areas near the river could be flooded. Residents in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property.
28.0 Feet	Severe flooding of all low-lying areas near the river from Blue Lake downstream to the mouth. Residents in these areas should be prepared to protect lives and property. This includes residential areas of Tyee City and the Arcata Bottoms, US Highway 101 near Janes Road, areas near Giuntoli Lane, and Mad River Beach Road.
30.0 Feet	Extensive, severe flooding of all low-lying areas near the river from Blue Lake downstream to the mouth. Residents in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. Critical locations include residential areas of Blue Lake, Tyee City and Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 near Janes Road and areas near Giuntoli Lane.
32.0 Feet	Disastrous flooding of all areas near the river from Blue Lake to the mouth. The river is forecast to approach record levels. All roads in the vicinity of the river are likely to be inundated and travel will be severely restricted. Residents should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. This would include homes in Blue Lake, Tyee City, and the Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 between Arcata and McKinleyville.
33.0 Feet	Disastrous flooding of all areas near the river from Blue Lake to the mouth. The river is forecast to exceed record levels. All roads in the vicinity of the river are likely to be inundated and travel will be severely restricted. Residents should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect lives and property. This would include homes in Blue Lake, Tyee City, and the Arcata Bottoms, as well as US Highway 101 between Arcata and McKinleyville.

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 Eureka 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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