Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite water level

Name: Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite 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, Merced R A Pohono Bridge, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.94ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM PDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 13.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 03:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:20 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite is at 0.94 ft, in the normal range.

It is 9.06 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 03:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 0.90 ft and 0.98 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 23.43 ftJanuary 3, 1997
Forecast peak: 1.33 ftFriday, October 23 at 03:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 9.06 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.45 ft: Flood of record...1/3/97. $178 million damage to Yosemite Valley.
13.60 ft: Lift stations at Housekeeping Camp and Yosemite Creek flooded. Southside Drive at Chapel Meadow impassable.
12.50 ft: Northside Drive at Wosky Pond, El Capitan crossover, and Sentinel crossover are impassable to vehicles.
12.00 ft: Water on road at Northside Drive, Southside Drive, El Capitan crossover, Sentinel crossover, and Highway 140 near Cookie Cliff.
11.40 ft: Water begins to overtop road curbs on Northside Drive. Swinging Bridge overtops.
10.00 ft: Merced River at Pohono Bridge begins to rise out of its banks. Flood Stage.
9.50 ft: Lower Pines and Housekeeping Camp begin flooding.
7.00 ft: RIVER IS CLOSED TO RAFTERS AND FLOATATION DEVICES.
0.94 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	23.43 ft	January 3, 1997
2	21.52 ft	December 23, 1955
3	20.98 ft	November 19, 1950
4	20.10 ft	December 11, 1937
5	16.96 ft	December 23, 1964
6	13.11 ft	April 11, 1982
7	13.01 ft	January 13, 1980
8	12.54 ft	May 16, 2005
9	12.10 ft	May 30, 1983
10	12.08 ft	May 22, 2023

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Merced R A Happy Isles Bridge near YosemiteRiver gauge, Merced R A Happy Isles Bridge	0.56 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.9 mi
Tuolumne R A Grand Canyon of Tuolumne above Hetch HetchyRiver gauge, Tuolumne R A Grand Canyon of Tuolumne	6.9 cfs	Low	±0	14 mi
Tuolumne River near Hetch HetchyRiver gauge, Tuolumne River	55.9 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
Tuolumne River above Early Intake near MatherRiver gauge, Tuolumne River	48.5 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	19 mi
Tuolumne River below Early Intake near MatherRiver gauge, Tuolumne River	48.5 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	20 mi
Cherry Creek near Early IntakeRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	15.2 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
Cherry Creek below Dion R Holm Ph near MatherRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	18.0 cfs	Very low	±0	20 mi
Eleanor Creek near Hetch HetchyRiver gauge, Eleanor Creek	10.6 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 9.06 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 Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM PDT, the water level was 0.94 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite?

The highest level on record is 23.43 ft on January 3, 1997.

Is Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 03:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11266500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.71628, -119.66567 (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	0.94 ft	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional
Flow	13.7 cfs	2026-10-21 06:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Merced R A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite (usgs:11266500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/merced-r-a-pohono-bridge-near-yosemite

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