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

 |  End of River Group

SUSAN RIVER - SUSANVILLE (SUSC1)
Latitude: 40.41º NLongitude: 120.66º WElevation: 4190 Feet
Location: Lassen County in CaliforniaBulletin Group: Eastern SierraRiver Group: Eastern Sierra
Action/Monitor: 10.5 FeetMinor Flood: 12.0 FeetModerate Flood: 13.0 FeetMajor Flood: 14.0 Feet

Observed Data Credit
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Raw streamflow data is provided by the California Department of Water Resources.
View California Department of Water Resources Data for this station location.

Historical Stage/Flow Data
Water Year
Peak Discharge (cfs)
Stage (feet)
Date
 Most Recent 5 Years
2023*
1,810**
11.05
Dec 30, 2022
2022*
1,520**
10.30
Oct 25, 2021
2021*
106**
4.70
Feb 12, 2021
2020*
194**
5.34
Apr 1, 2020
2019*
1,310**
9.71
Feb 14, 2019
 Historical High Stage/Flow Events (Period of Record - Discontinuous Jul 1951 to Present)**** - Ranked by Flow
1970*
5,850
8.89***
Jan 24, 1970
1997*
5,150**
11.75***
Jan 02, 1997
1986*
5,120
8.33***
Feb 17, 1986
1965*
5,100
7.30***
Dec 22, 1964
1982*
4,560
7.95***
Nov 23, 1981
 * Discharge affected by regulation or diversion
 ** Estimated flow (Not Official)
 *** USGS gage located 0.5 mile upstream at different datum.
 **** Most recent record back to Jul 1951 (missing 1995 to 2000) with segmented periods back to Jun 1900
Location Photographs
ESRI™ Locator Map
Impacts - E19 Information
18.5 FeetRecord flooding from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Extensive damage to homes...businesses...schools...roads... bridges and water systems throughout Honey Lake Valley. Transportation in and out of valley cut off as US Highway 395 and Highway 36 are flooded or washed out. Extensive power...phone...and rural water system impacts. Like record flood of January 24 1970.
18.0 FeetNear record flooding from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Extensive damage to homes...businesses...schools...roads...bridges and water systems in flood plain throughout Honey Lake Valley. Transportation in and out of Honey Lake Valley is cut off as US Highway 395 and Highway 36 are flooded or washed out. Extensive power...phone and rural water system impacts. Only exceeded by flood of January 24 1970.
17.5 FeetNear record flooding from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Severe damage to homes...businesses...schools... roadways...bridges and water systems in flood plain throughout Honey Lake Valley. Transportation in valley difficult as US Highway 395 and Highway 36 are flooded or washed out. Extensive power...phone and rural water system impacts. Slightly higher than floods of February 17 1986 and January 2 1997.
17.0 FeetMajor flood damage from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Homes...businesses...schools... roadways...bridges and water systems flooded throughout Honey Lake Valley. Transportation very difficult as US Highway 395 and Highway 36 are flooded or washed out. Extensive power...phone and rural water system impacts. Slightly less severe than floods of December 22 1964...February 17 1986 and January 2 1997.
16.5 FeetMajor flood damage from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Homes...businesses...schools...roadways... bridges and water systems flooded throughout Honey Lake Valley. Extensive transportation...power... phone and rural water system impacts. US Highway 395 and Highway 36 flooded. Similar to November 23 1981 flood.
16.0 FeetMajor flooding from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Homes...businesses...schools...roadways and bridges flooded throughout Honey Lake Valley. Transportation impacts may be serious as US Highway 395 and Highway 36 are flooded. Extensive power...phone and rural water system impacts. Similar to November 23 1981 flood.
15.5 FeetMajor flood damage from Susanville to Honey Lake...including Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Flooding of homes...businesses and schools in flood plain throughout Honey Lake Valley...including Susanville. Extensive damage to transportation systems as roads...bridges and culverts are flooded or washed out. US Highway 395 is flooded. Major transportation...power...phone and rural water system impacts. Similar to January 31 1963 flood.
15.0 FeetMajor flooding in Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Major flooding in Susanville from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive and from Main Street...Highway 36...on north to railroad tracks on south. Serious flood impacts to homes...businesses...schools...roads and bridges throughout Honey Lake Valley. US Highway 395 flooded. Serious transportation...power...phone and rural water system impacts. Similar to January 31 1963 and January 13 1980 floods.
14.5 FeetMajor flooding in Susanville, Johnstonville, Leavitt Lake, Standish, and Litchfield areas in Honey Lake Valley. Susanville flooded from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive and from Main Street (Highway 36) on north to railroad tracks on south. Serious flood impacts to homes, businesses, schools, roads, and bridges throughout Honey Lake Valley. US Highway 395 flooded. Serious transportation impacts, moderate impacts to power, phone, and rural water systems. Similar to 12/23/1955 flood.
14.0 FeetMajor flooding in Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish...Litchfield. Susanville floods from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive and from Main St...Highway 36...on north to railroad tracks on south. Top of K-rail flood wall on Carroll Street. Homes...businesses...schools...roads and bridges in the Honey Lake Valley flooded. Serious transportation impacts. Impacts to power...phone and rural water systems begin. Similar to December 31 2005 and February 24 1958 floods.
13.5 FeetModerate flooding in Susanville...Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield.Susanville floods from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive and from Cornell/River Street on north to Hood Street/Sunkist Drive on south. River up to bottom of Lassen Street bridge. Several homes along river have minor to moderate flooding. Many roads and bridges in Honey Lake Valley flood...moderate transportation impacts. Like December 2 2012...March 30 1974 and January 21 1969 floods.
13.0 FeetModerate flooding in Susanville from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive. Some homes along river have moderate flood affects...especially on Carroll Street. Significant lowland flooding below Susanville in Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Rural roads and bridges in these areas flood. Similar to flood of March 13 1983.
12.5 FeetMinor to moderate flooding in Susanville from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive. Several homes along river affected...especially on Carroll Street. Moderate lowland flooding below Susanville in Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield areas. Rural roads and bridges begin to flood in these areas.
12.0 FeetFlood Stage. Several homes on Carroll Street in Susanville begin to flood. Local flooding in Susanville from Lassen Street downstream along Riverside Drive...especially below Piute Creek which enters river near Alexander Drive. Moderate lowland flooding below Susanville in Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish... and Litchfield areas. Some rural roads affected by flooding.
11.5 FeetLocalized minor to moderate lowland flooding below Susanville in the Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake... Standish and Litchfield rural areas.
11.0 FeetLocal minor lowland flooding below Susanville in Johnstonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield rural areas.
10.5 FeetThose along river should begin careful monitoring of river and keep informed of forecast updates. Localized minor lowland flooding below Susanville in Johntonville...Leavitt Lake...Standish and Litchfield rural areas.
Official 7 Day National Weather Service Forecast   (CAZ071)
Today: Partly cloudy. Highs 41 to 51. Light winds.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows 21 to 31. Light winds becoming south around 10 mph after midnight.

Wednesday: Showers likely in the morning, then snow showers and chance of showers in the afternoon. Snow level rising to 5500 feet. Snow accumulation up to 2 inches. Highs 46 to 56. South winds around 10 mph increasing to southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Showers likely. Snow level 5500 to 6000 feet. Lows 24 to 34. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the evening.

Thursday: Showers likely. Snow level 5500 feet. Highs 41 to 51. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Showers likely. Lows 20 to 30.

Friday: Snow showers likely. Highs 33 to 43.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow showers in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows 11 to 21.

Saturday and Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Highs 32 to 42. Lows 12 to 22.

Sunday and Sunday Night: Showers likely. Highs 37 to 47. Lows 14 to 24.

Monday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Highs 32 to 42.
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.