Bear River near Wheatland water level

Name: Bear River near Wheatland water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Bear River, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

-0.23ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 23.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to −0.23 ft by Monday, October 19 at 05:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 06:39 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Bear River near Wheatland, where the gauge shows −0.23 ft.

It is 24.23 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to −0.23 ft by Monday, October 19 at 05:00 PM. The 30-day range is −0.24 ft – −0.08 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.28 ftDecember 31, 2005
Forecast peak: −0.23 ftMonday, October 19 at 05:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 24.00 ft.

What happens at each level

33.10 ft: Top of right bank levee. Stages above this level result in flooding outside the levee.
13.60 ft: Orchards within the levee downstream near Pleasant Grove Road begin to flood.
−0.23 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.28 ft	December 31, 2005
2	23.72 ft	January 2, 1997
3	23.71 ft	January 11, 2017
4	22.83 ft	November 21, 1950
5	21.60 ft	February 17, 1986
6	21.30 ft	December 22, 1955
7	21.22 ft	January 9, 2017
8	19.82 ft	December 20, 1981
9	18.85 ft	October 13, 1962
10	17.85 ft	March 13, 1983

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 89° 49° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 88° 53° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 74° 53° – Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 71° 50° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 73° 55° – Wind 16 mph

22 Thu 70° 54° 0.02 in, 39% Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 75° 50° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 65%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yuba River near MarysvilleRiver gauge, Yuba River	61.13 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	14 mi
Deer Creek near SmartsvilleRiver gauge, Deer Creek	7.8 cfs	Normal	+3.5 cfs	17 mi
Sacramento R A VeronaRiver gauge	11.52 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Nf American R A North Fork DamRiver gauge	74.9 cfs	Normal	−4.3 cfs	21 mi
Sacramento River below Wilkins Slough near GrimesRiver gauge, Sacramento River	27.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	22 mi
Arcade Creek near Del Paso HeightsRiver gauge, Arcade Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	25 mi
Folsom LakeLake	402.29 ft	Normal		25 mi
Yolo Bypass near WoodlandRiver gauge, Yolo Bypass	29.5 cfs	High	+0.7 cfs	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Bear River near Wheatland?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 24.23 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Bear River near Wheatland today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM PDT, the water level was −0.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear River near Wheatland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bear River near Wheatland normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bear River near Wheatland?

The highest level on record is 24.28 ft on December 31, 2005.

Is Bear River near Wheatland expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to −0.23 ft by Monday, October 19 at 05:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11424000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.00015, -121.40659 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	−0.23 ft	2026-10-20 04:45	Provisional
Flow	23.7 cfs	2026-10-20 04:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear River near Wheatland (usgs:11424000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/bear-river-near-wheatland

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer