Sacramento R A Colusa water level

Name: Sacramento R A Colusa 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, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

39.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM PDT (56 min ago)

Flow: 4,390 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Sacramento R A Colusa, where the gauge shows 39.78 ft.

It is 30.22 ft below the flood stage of 70.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 PM. The 30-day range is 39.70 ft – 39.83 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 68.83 ftJanuary 3, 1997
Forecast peak: 40.33 ftFriday, October 23 at 07:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 70.00 ft.

What happens at each level

73.00 ft: Stages above 73.0 feet result in major flooding of the area outside the levees. Top of levee.
67.20 ft: Water moves into parking lot and patio of RV Park located 0.7 miles downstream of gauge on left bank of river.
65.00 ft: Water impacts the parking lot of RV Park 4 miles downstream of gauge on left bank of river. RV Park is located inside the levee.
63.00 ft: Monitor Stage. The Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area begins to experience high water impacts.
39.78 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	68.83 ft	January 3, 1997
2	68.55 ft	February 7, 2025
3	68.50 ft	March 4, 1983
4	68.33 ft	March 1, 2019
5	68.25 ft	February 20, 2017
6	68.00 ft	February 26, 1958
7	67.97 ft	February 19, 1986
8	67.72 ft	January 2, 2006
9	67.70 ft	January 8, 1974
10	67.60 ft	January 25, 1970

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sacramento River below Wilkins Slough near GrimesRiver gauge, Sacramento River	27.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Bear Creek above Holsten Chimney Canyon near RumseyRiver gauge, Bear Creek	1.7 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	26 mi
Yuba River near MarysvilleRiver gauge, Yuba River	61.15 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Cache C A RumseyRiver gauge	1.85 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
Nf Cache Creek near Clearlake OaksRiver gauge, Nf Cache Creek	11.1 cfs	Normal	±0	30 mi
Nf Cache C A Hough Spring near Clearlake OaksRiver gauge, Nf Cache C A Hough Spring	0.7 cfs	Low	±0	33 mi
Bear River near WheatlandRiver gauge, Bear River	−0.18 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	35 mi
Cache C A YoloRiver gauge	48.52 ft	Below flood stage	+3.05 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Sacramento R A Colusa?

The official flood stage is 70.00 ft. The level is currently 30.22 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 Sacramento R A Colusa today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM PDT, the water level was 39.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sacramento R A Colusa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sacramento R A Colusa normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sacramento R A Colusa?

The highest level on record is 68.83 ft on January 3, 1997.

Is Sacramento R A Colusa expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.33 ft by Friday, October 23 at 07:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11389500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.21403, -122.00022 (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	39.78 ft	2026-10-21 06:45	Provisional
Flow	4,390 cfs	2026-10-21 06:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sacramento R A Colusa (usgs:11389500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/sacramento-r-a-colusa

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