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

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MERCED RIVER - YOSEMITE NP AT POHONO BRIDGE (POHC1)
Latitude: 37.72º NLongitude: 119.67º WElevation: 3862 Feet
Location: Mariposa County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: San JoaquinRiver Group: San Joaquin
Action/Monitor: N/A Minor Flood: 10.0 FeetModerate Flood: 12.5 FeetMajor Flood: 20.0 Feet

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.

Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year
Peak Discharge (cfs)
Stage (feet)
Date
 Most Recent 5 Years
2024
5,090
8.79
May 16, 2024
2023
9,520
12.08
May 22, 2023
2022
4,810
8.55
Oct 25 2021
2021
2,160
5.92
May 6, 2021
2020
3,560
7.41
Apr 30, 2020
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Oct 1916 to Present) - Ranked by Flow
1997
24,600
23.43
Jan 03, 1997
1956
23,400
21.52
Dec 23, 1955
1951
23,000
19.98
Nov 19, 1950
1938
22,000
19.10
Dec 11, 1937
1965
18,000
16.96
Dec 23, 1964
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Flood Impacts
23.45 FeetFlood of record...1/3/97. $178 million damage to Yosemite Valley.
13.6 FeetLift stations at Housekeeping Camp and Yosemite Creek flooded. Southside Drive at Chapel Meadow impassable.
12.5 FeetNorthside Drive at Wosky Pond, El Capitan crossover, and Sentinel crossover are impassable to vehicles.
12.0 FeetWater on road at Northside Drive, Southside Drive, El Capitan crossover, Sentinel crossover, and Highway 140 near Cookie Cliff.
11.4 FeetWater begins to overtop road curbs on Northside Drive. Swinging Bridge overtops.
10.0 FeetMerced River at Pohono Bridge begins to rise out of its banks. Flood Stage.
9.5 FeetLower Pines and Housekeeping Camp begin flooding.
7.0 FeetRIVER IS CLOSED TO RAFTERS AND FLOATATION DEVICES.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ324)
Today: Sunny. Slight chance of rain late in the morning. Slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 76 to 90. Southwest winds up to 5 mph increasing to 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

Tonight: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then clear after midnight. Lows 58 to 66. West winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

Thursday: Sunny. Highs 77 to 89. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Cooler. Mostly clear. Lows 51 to 59. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

Independence Day: Sunny. Highs 69 to 83. South winds up to 5 mph increasing to southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night through Monday: Clear. Lows 51 to 64. Highs 74 to 93.

Monday Night and Tuesday: Clear. Lows 59 to 67. Highs 82 to 94.
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 Joaquin Valley-Hanford 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.