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Mattole River near Petrolia water level

River gauge, Mattole River, California, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

11.04ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
15.9 cfs
10 20 30 Highest onrecord 29.60 ft

History

History
11.0211.0311.04ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2011.0211.0311.04ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
Water level

What this means

The Mattole River near Petrolia is running far below normal at 11.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 11.02 ft and 11.04 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
29.60 ftDecember 22, 1955

Floating and fishing near Mattole River near Petrolia

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
129.60 ftDecember 22, 1955
227.96 ftFebruary 25, 2019
327.86 ftDecember 22, 1964
427.85 ftDecember 28, 2005
527.09 ftDecember 21, 2025
625.20 ftMarch 14, 2023
724.77 ftNovember 22, 2024
824.15 ftMarch 30, 2012
923.65 ftJanuary 13, 2024
1022.17 ftDecember 30, 2022

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Mattole River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Mattole River near EttersburgRiver gauge, Mattole River 7.4 cfs Low +1.5 cfs 20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bull Creek near WeottRiver gauge, Bull Creek 0.3 cfs Very low ±0 15 mi
Eel R A ScotiaRiver gauge 8.74 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 16 mi
Eel R A FernbridgeRiver gauge −0.51 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 21 mi
Van Duzen River near BridgevilleRiver gauge, Van Duzen River −0.32 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 24 mi
Sf Eel River near MirandaRiver gauge, Sf Eel River 6.20 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 28 mi
Eel R A Fort SewardRiver gauge 7.22 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 35 mi
Sf Eel R A LeggettRiver gauge 15.0 cfs Low +0.6 cfs 42 mi
Mad River near ArcataRiver gauge, Mad River 5.65 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 43 mi

Questions and answers

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 Mattole River near Petrolia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM PDT, the water level was 11.04 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mattole River near Petrolia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mattole River near Petrolia normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mattole River near Petrolia?

The highest level on record is 29.60 ft on December 22, 1955.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:11469000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.31316, -124.28335 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 11.04 ft 2026-10-20 19:30 Provisional
Flow 15.9 cfs 2026-10-20 19:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mattole River near Petrolia (usgs:11469000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/mattole-river-near-petrolia

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.