San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego water level

Name: San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego 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 Diego R A Fashion Valley, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.55ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM PDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 12.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:31 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego, where the gauge shows 2.55 ft.

It is 7.45 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.55 ft – 3.00 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.30 ftFebruary 21, 1980
Forecast peak: 5.20 ftThursday, October 22 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 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

16.50 ft: Most unelevated roads and intersections in Mission Valley are flooded and impassable. Widespread damage to businesses, residences and roads throughout Mission Valley. Water will reach up to Highway 163.
13.50 ft: Portions of Hotel Circle Road North under water. Qualcomm Way flooded and may close. Snapdragon Stadium parking may flood (likely not now) and water may back up on Chollas Creek. Mission Gorge Road at low water crossing closed with 1-2 feet of flowing water. Mission Center Road will have 2-3 feet of flowing water. Hotel Circle Road has areas of standing water.
12.00 ft: Even more extensive road flooding occurs in and around Mission Valley. Qualcomm Way, Camino Del Este, Ward Road, and Mission Gorge Rd flooded. Mission Trolley Station flooded and may close due to flowing water. I-5 on and off ramps flooded at the San Diego River and Pacific Highway. Mission Center Road may begin flooding with debris on railings. Fashion Valley Trolley Station surrounded by water. 2 feet of water flowing over Fashion Valley Road across gates. Old golf course has been flooded at this level.
11.00 ft: The parking garages in Fashion Valley Mall can have up to 3 feet of water on the lowest levels. Water may begin to surround area hotels such as the River Leaf Inn. The Mission Trolley Station on Ward Road may begin to flood. Flooding begins on Camino De La Reina (under Highway 163).
10.00 ft: More extensive flooding begins at this level, more than just low lying areas. Fashion Valley Mall parking garage is taking on water at the lower levels, with 1 to 2 feet of water in the garage. Water on the Town and Country hotel parking lot adjacent to the river and USGS gage.
9.00 ft: More extensive low lying road flooding begins in and around Fashion Valley including Fashion Valley Road. Parking structures in and around Fashion Valley Mall can begin to take on water at the lowest levels.
7.50 ft: Action stage. The first real impacts are seen on the San Diego River at this level. Low lying roads in and around Fashion Valley Mall begin to take on water. Avenida Del Rio is the first road to begin flooding.
2.55 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.30 ft	February 21, 1980
2	14.15 ft	February 28, 2017
3	14.01 ft	December 22, 2010
4	13.48 ft	February 21, 1914
5	13.47 ft	March 6, 1995
6	13.11 ft	March 2, 1983
7	12.80 ft	February 8, 1998
8	12.77 ft	January 16, 2023
9	12.49 ft	April 10, 2020
10	12.48 ft	January 16, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 92° 71° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 85° 65° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 79° 62° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 72° 68° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 73° 66° 0.47 in, 49% Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 69° 64° 0.15 in, 78% Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 70° 64° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:58 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Diego R A Mast Road near SanteeRiver gauge, San Diego R A Mast Road	6.0 cfs	Very high	−0.5 cfs	10 mi
Los Penasquitos Creek near PowayRiver gauge, Los Penasquitos Creek	3.8 cfs	High	+0.3 cfs	13 mi
Los Coches Creek near LakesideRiver gauge, Los Coches Creek	0.3 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	16 mi
Jamul Creek near JamulRiver gauge, Jamul Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	19 mi
Santa Maria Creek near RamonaRiver gauge, Santa Maria Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	24 mi
Guejito Creek near San PasqualRiver gauge, Guejito Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	27 mi
Santa Ysabel Creek near RamonaRiver gauge, Santa Ysabel Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	29 mi
Sweetwater River near DescansoRiver gauge, Sweetwater River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.45 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 San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM PDT, the water level was 2.55 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.40 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego?

The highest level on record is 16.30 ft on February 21, 1980.

Is San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11023000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.76505, -117.16863 (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	2.55 ft	2026-10-21 08:15	Provisional
Flow	12.7 cfs	2026-10-21 08:15	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/9525?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Diego R A Fashion Valley at San Diego (usgs:11023000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/san-diego-r-a-fashion-valley-at-san-diego

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