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Napa River near Napa water level

River gauge, Napa River, California, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

1.96ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.3 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 30.50 ft Minor floodstage 25.00 ft

History

History
2.02.12.2ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 252.02.12.2ftOct 16Oct 21Oct 25
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Napa River near Napa, where the gauge shows 1.96 ft.

It is 23.04 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. The 30-day range is 1.94 ft – 1.96 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
30.50 ftMarch 9, 1995
Forecast peak
2.21 ftFriday, October 23 at 01:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 25.00 ft.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft
Disastrous flooding. Widespread flooding occurs in the entire Napa Valley, with transportation impossible. Disastrous damage to homes and businesses in the Napa Valley, especially in the City of Napa.
30.20 ft
FLOOD OF RECORD. 2/18/86 Flood of record 30.20 feet (37,100 cfs).
30.00 ft
In the City of Napa, flooding in the south oxbow area expands south towards Tulocay Creek and Imola Avenue begins to flood on both sides of the river. Major flooding continues in the Napa Valley, with major damage to homes and businesses, especially in Napa. Transportation impossible in the Napa Valley. 20,000 acres possibly flooded in the Napa Valley. Between 5,000 and 7,000 evacuations occurred in the 2/18/86 record flood, 37,000 cfs, 30.20 feet.
29.00 ft
In the City of Napa, the Soscol corridor between the bypass and Lakepark in inundated, and the Lakepark area begins to flood and flow begins to leave the Napa River at Riverside Drive.
28.00 ft
Major Flood Stage. In the City of Napa, significant flooding occurs near Lincoln Avenue with some secondary roads inundated. Major flooding of towns within the reach of the gage, especially in Napa. Inundation of agricultural land and major damage from bank erosion and sediment deposition in Napa Valley. Transportation difficult throughout the Napa Valley. The 1/1/1997 flood measured 28.07 feet and cut off east-west travel except at Highway 29 over the Napa River.
27.00 ft
In the City of Napa, moderate flooding begins on the east side of Napa River near Milliken Creek Inn.
26.00 ft
Moderate Flood Stage. In the City of Napa, flow begins to leave the Napa River channel in the South Coombs area (north of Imola Avenue) and the south oxbow (near Taylor Street). Crop losses and erosion damage become serious. Moderate flood damage in lower parts of urban areas along the reach. Transportation in the Napa Valley becoming difficult. The flood of 2/3/1998 measured 26.72 feet.
25.00 ft
Flood Stage. Flooding of lowest parts of towns in reach begins. Inundation of lowest agricultural land in Napa Valley. Some secondary roads are inundated. Moderate damage from bank erosion and sediment deposition throughout the reach.
24.00 ft
In the City of Napa, flow begins to leave the Napa River channel at Riverpointe (north of Lincoln Avenue).
22.00 ft
Action Stage. In the City of Napa, the Napa River Dry Bypass is fully inundated and flow begins to cross McKinstry Street.
20.00 ft
Erosion of lowest agricultural areas along river begins.
1.96 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: 7 %.

RankLevelDate
130.50 ftMarch 9, 1995
230.20 ftFebruary 18, 1986
329.85 ftDecember 31, 2005
428.07 ftJanuary 1, 1997
527.59 ftJanuary 31, 1963
626.98 ftJanuary 26, 1995
726.81 ftJanuary 8, 2017
826.72 ftFebruary 3, 1998
926.47 ftFebruary 27, 2019
1026.47 ftJanuary 21, 1967

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 75° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 75° 53° 0.09 in, 43% Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 67° 55° 0.04 in, 36% Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 78° 52° – Wind 4 mph
24 Sat 79° 52° – Wind 5 mph
25 Sun 83° 54° – Wind 5 mph
26 Mon 85° 56° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Napa River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Napa River near St HelenaRiver gauge, Napa River 0.47 ft Below flood stage ±0 13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sonoma C A Agua CalienteRiver gauge 0.9 cfs Normal −0.2 cfs 11 mi
Sonoma Creek A KenwoodRiver gauge 0.0 cfs Low ±0 14 mi
Lake Berryessa and MonticelloLake 428.11 ft High 15 mi
Putah Creek near WintersRiver gauge, Putah Creek 119 cfs Normal −9.0 cfs 16 mi
Copeland C A Rohnert ParkRiver gauge 1.31 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 22 mi
Matanzas C A Santa RosaRiver gauge 155.16 ft Below flood stage ±0 22 mi
Santa Rosa C A Santa RosaRiver gauge 23.25 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 23 mi
Colgan Creek near Santa RosaRiver gauge, Colgan Creek 97.69 ft Below flood stage ±0 23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Napa River near Napa?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 23.04 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 Napa River near Napa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM PDT, the water level was 1.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Napa River near Napa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Napa River near Napa normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 30.50 ft on March 9, 1995.

Is Napa River near Napa expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:11458000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.36821, -122.30327 (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 1.96 ft 2026-10-20 22:00 Provisional
Flow 0.3 cfs 2026-10-20 22:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Napa River near Napa (usgs:11458000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/napa-river-near-napa

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.