East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville water level

Name: East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville 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, East Fork Carson River, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 45.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.51 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:33 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville is at 2.18 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.82 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.51 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.16 ft and 2.19 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.64 ftJanuary 2, 1997
Forecast peak: 2.51 ftWednesday, October 21 at 11:00 PM

Floating and fishing near East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 6.82 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Major impacts to transportation, communication, power and water systems. In excess of January 1997 event.
11.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Major impact to transportation including Highways 89 and 4. Communication, water and power systems may be impacted. Significant inundation of low lying rangelands.
10.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Moderate flooding impacting Carson River Resort campground, and potential for significant bank erosion causing road damage along Highways 89 and 4.
9.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Minor flooding from Monitor Creek to Bryant Creek including impacts to river campgrounds and possible impacts to highway due to bank erosion. Similar to 1/8/17, 2/10/17 and 12/31/2005.
8.00 ft: Monitor Stage. No flooding from from Monitor Creek to Bryant Creek, river near bankfull and may require precautionary measures to move resources away from the river. Additional impacts to recreational river users.
2.18 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.64 ft	January 2, 1997
2	10.72 ft	January 31, 1963
3	9.77 ft	January 9, 2017
4	9.33 ft	December 31, 2005
5	9.07 ft	March 8, 1986
6	8.93 ft	December 23, 1964
7	8.67 ft	February 10, 2017
8	8.59 ft	May 15, 1996
9	8.59 ft	February 16, 1982
10	8.53 ft	January 13, 1980

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the East Fork Carson River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork Carson River near GardnervilleRiver gauge, East Fork Carson River	9.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
East Fork Carson River near DresslervilleRiver gauge, East Fork Carson River	6.45 ft	No reference yet	+0.02 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Fork Carson River at WoodfordsRiver gauge, West Fork Carson River	9.59 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.3 mi
4L Creek near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, 4L Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	5.5 mi
Leviathan Creek above Aspen Creek near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, Leviathan Creek	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	5.6 mi
Leviathan Creek above Mine near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, Leviathan Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	±0	5.9 mi
Aspen Creek above Leviathan Mine near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, Aspen Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	±0	6 mi
Bryant Creek below Mountaineer Creek near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, Bryant Creek	1.6 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	7 mi
Leviathan Creek above Mountaineer Creek near MarkleevilleRiver gauge, Leviathan Creek	0.3 cfs	Normal	±0	7 mi
Topaz Canal below Topaz Lake near TopazCanal gauge, Topaz Canal	98.8 cfs	Normal	±0	14 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.82 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 East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT, the water level was 2.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville?

The highest level on record is 11.64 ft on January 2, 1997.

Is East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.51 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:10308200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.71463, -119.76490 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	2.18 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	45.2 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: East Fork Carson River below Markleeville Creek near Markleeville (usgs:10308200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/east-fork-carson-river-below-markleeville-creek-near-markleeville

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