Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee water level

Name: Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee 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, Donner Creek, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.20ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM PDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 68.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee is at 3.20 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.80 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.21 ft and 3.70 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.76 ftJanuary 2, 1997

Floating and fishing near Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 4.80 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft: Flood Stage, Minor flooding occurs.
3.20 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.76 ft	January 2, 1997
2	10.50 ft	December 31, 2005
3	9.25 ft	January 9, 2017
4	8.30 ft	May 17, 1996
5	8.30 ft	May 19, 2005
6	7.78 ft	December 2, 2012
7	7.51 ft	December 11, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 59° 41° 0.23 in, 88% Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 44° 38° 0.55 in, 73% Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 55° 34° 0.02 in, 35% Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 61° 30° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 66° 33° – Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Donner C A Donner Lake near TruckeeRiver gauge, Donner C A Donner Lake	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	1.4 mi
Truckee River near TruckeeRiver gauge, Truckee River	1.63 ft	Below flood stage	±0	1.7 mi
Truckee River below Martis Creek near TruckeeRiver gauge, Truckee River	168 cfs	High	−29.0 cfs	5.2 mi
Prosser Creek below Prosser C Dam near TruckeeRiver gauge, Prosser Creek	75.2 cfs	Normal	±0	5.4 mi
Little Truckee River below Boca Dam near TruckeeRiver gauge, Little Truckee River	142 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
Boca Reservoir near TruckeeReservoir, Boca Reservoir	5,569.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	8 mi
Sagehen Creek near TruckeeRiver gauge, Sagehen Creek	1.8 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi
Truckee R A Boca Bridge near TruckeeRiver gauge, Truckee R A Boca Bridge	386 cfs	Normal	−60.0 cfs	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.80 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 Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM PDT, the water level was 3.20 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.96 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee?

The highest level on record is 12.76 ft on January 2, 1997.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:10338700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.32099, -120.20795 (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	3.20 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	68.1 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Donner Creek at Highway 89 near Truckee (usgs:10338700). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/donner-creek-at-highway-89-near-truckee

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