San Benito River near Willow Creek School water level

Name: San Benito River near Willow Creek School 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, San Benito River, California, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

4.30ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT (48 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at San Benito River near Willow Creek School: the gauge reads 4.30 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 4.29 ft – 4.31 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: 14.55 ftMarch 10, 1995

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.55 ft	March 10, 1995
2	13.23 ft	February 3, 1998
3	12.01 ft	March 2, 1983
4	9.44 ft	January 17, 1993
5	8.95 ft	January 24, 1995
6	8.71 ft	March 4, 1978
7	8.58 ft	March 23, 1995
8	8.51 ft	January 14, 1993
9	8.35 ft	February 11, 1973
10	8.14 ft	February 15, 1986

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 77° 49° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 76° 48° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 64° 54° 0.55 in, 62% Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 63° 55° 0.20 in, 50% Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 51° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 80° 56° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 82° 60° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the San Benito River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Benito River below Hospital Road Bridge near HollisterRiver gauge, San Benito River	0.0 cfs	No reference yet	±0	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tres Pinos Creek near Tres PinosRiver gauge, Tres Pinos Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
Salinas R A SoledadRiver gauge	8.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	15 mi
Salinas River near ChualarRiver gauge, Salinas River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	19 mi
Arroyo Seco near SoledadRiver gauge, Arroyo Seco	1.4 cfs	Low	+0.4 cfs	24 mi
San Lorenzo Creek below Bitterwater Creek near King CityRiver gauge, San Lorenzo Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	25 mi
Salinas River near SpreckelsRiver gauge, Salinas River	2.82 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
Pacheco Creek near DunnevilleRiver gauge, Pacheco Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	27 mi
Reclamation Ditch near SalinasCanal gauge, Reclamation Ditch	0.6 cfs	Very low	+0.1 cfs	28 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 San Benito River near Willow Creek School today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT, the water level was 4.30 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Benito River near Willow Creek School rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of San Benito River near Willow Creek School 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 San Benito River near Willow Creek School?

The highest level on record is 14.55 ft on March 10, 1995.

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:11156500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.61413, -121.21136 (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	4.30 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10688?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="San Benito River near Willow Creek School water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Benito River near Willow Creek School (usgs:11156500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/san-benito-river-near-willow-creek-school

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