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Latitude: 36.90º N | Longitude: 121.60º W | Elevation: 82 Feet | |
Location: Santa Cruz County in California | River Group: Central Coast |
Monitor Stage: 25.0 Feet | Flood Stage: 32.0 Feet |
Observed Data Credit | |
![]() | Raw streamflow data is provided by the US Geological Survey (USGS). |
Historical Stage/Flow Data |
|||
Water Year
|
Peak Discharge (cfs)
|
Stage (feet)
|
Date
|
Most Recent 5 Years | |||
2019 |
4,540 |
20.49 |
Feb 15, 2019 |
2018 |
909 |
9.22 |
Mar 23, 2018 |
2017 |
9,160 |
26.98 |
Feb 21, 2017 |
2016 |
4,050 |
19.82 |
Mar 14, 2016 |
2015 |
621 |
8.60 |
Dec 12, 2014 |
Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - February 1938* to Present) | |||
1998 |
25,100 |
33.73 |
Feb 3, 1998 |
1956 |
24,000 |
32.46 |
Dec 24, 1955 |
1958 |
23,500 |
33.11 |
Apr 3, 1958 |
1955 |
21,500 |
32.20 |
Mar 11, 1955 |
1969 |
17,800 |
23.90 |
Feb 25, 1969 |
* Missing data during 1939, otherwise record complete |
Location Photographs | ||
ESRI™ Locator Map |
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast (CAZ529) |
Rest of Today: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. South winds around 5 mph and becoming west in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. North winds around 5 mph in the evening and becoming light. Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds around 5 mph. Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. East winds around 5 mph increasing to west 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 35 mph after midnight. Martin Luther King Jr Day: Sunny, breezy. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 45 mph. Monday Night: Mostly clear. Breezy. Lows in the mid 40s. Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Tuesday Night through Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. Highs in the upper 60s. Thursday through Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs around 60. Lows around 40. |
Impacts - E19 Information | |
25.0 Feet | Scouring of lowlands throughout the Pajaro Valley in areas not protected by levees. |
28.0 Feet | Some minor flooding of lowest agricultural areas in all reaches above Chittenden. Some secondary roads begin to flood. Watsonville levees within 3 feet of top. |
29.5 Feet | Levees protecting Watsonville within 2 feet of top. Moderate bank erosion and sediment deposition throughout reach. Some secondary roads flooded. State Highway 129 between US 101 and Watsonville begins to flood at railroad underpass 300 feet below gage and other lower spots along the river. |
32.0 Feet | Significant damage from bank erosion and sediment deposition throughout reach. Some primary and many secondary roads flooded. Minor flooding of low portions of towns within the reach of the gage begins. Damage to roads and bridges possible due to erosion or logjams. |
32.5 Feet | Widespread flooding through the Pajaro Valley, with extensive damage and possible loss of life. Extensive erosion and logjam damage to highways and bridges. Many primary and most secondary roads flooded making transportation difficult. |
33.11 Feet | Extensive flood damage throughout the Pajaro Valley. Transportation extremely difficult. Watsonville and Pajaro levees overtopped or severely strained if sandbagged. |
33.5 Feet | Severe damage in Pajaro Valley, especially in Pajaro and Watsonville areas and likely near San Juan Bautista along the San Benito River and portions south of Gilroy near the Pajaro River. Transportation essentially impossible. |
33.73 Feet | Stage and flow of record. 02/03/1998. 25,100 cfs. |
35.0 Feet | Bankfull at gage. Transportation impossible. Levees protecting Watsonville and Pajaro in great danger of failing. |
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 Francisco Bay Area-Monterey 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. |