Santa Margarita R A Ysidora water level

Name: Santa Margarita R A Ysidora 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

7.13ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.37 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:31 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Santa Margarita R A Ysidora is at 7.13 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.37 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.37 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 7.13 ft and 7.14 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.07 ftFebruary 14, 2019
Forecast peak: 8.37 ftThursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Santa Margarita R A Ysidora

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

Flood stage here is 12.50 ft, 5.37 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.29 ft: Major flood, 37,000 cfs. Widespread inundation of Camp Pendleton with evacuations likely. Flood of Record Jan 16, 1993.
13.78 ft: Moderate flood stage, 17,000 cfs. Vandegrift Road is flooded for several miles downstream of the gage site. Stuart Mesa Road is flooded near the bridge.
12.50 ft: Minor flood stage, 8,000 cfs. Vandegrift Road has begun to flood downstream of the gage. Stuart Mesa Road closures can be expected.
10.85 ft: 2,500 cfs. The river has reached monitor stage. Personnel begin regular patrols along the levee.
7.13 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	15.07 ft	February 14, 2019
2	14.60 ft	January 22, 2017
3	14.05 ft	January 23, 1943
4	12.70 ft	March 3, 1938
5	12.68 ft	January 10, 1995
6	12.41 ft	February 23, 1998
7	11.73 ft	January 16, 2023
8	11.20 ft	March 1, 1991
9	10.50 ft	February 7, 1937
10	10.40 ft	March 2, 1983

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oneill Lake Outlet Ch near FallbrookRiver gauge, Oneill Lake Outlet Ch	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	1.6 mi
Fallbrook Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Fallbrook Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	3.0 mi
San Luis Rey R A OceansideRiver gauge	5.60 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
De Luz Creek near De LuzRiver gauge, De Luz Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
Santa Margarita R A Fpud Sump near FallbrookRiver gauge, Santa Margarita R A Fpud Sump	7.1 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Sandia Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Sandia Creek	0.5 cfs	Very low	±0	10 mi
Rainbow Creek near FallbrookRiver gauge, Rainbow Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	11 mi
Santa Margarita River near TemeculaRiver gauge, Santa Margarita River	4.4 cfs	Normal	+1.1 cfs	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Santa Margarita R A Ysidora?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 5.37 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 Santa Margarita R A Ysidora today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM PDT, the water level was 7.13 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Santa Margarita R A Ysidora rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Santa Margarita R A Ysidora normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Santa Margarita R A Ysidora?

The highest level on record is 15.07 ft on February 14, 2019.

Is Santa Margarita R A Ysidora expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.37 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11046000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.31114, -117.34726 (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	7.13 ft	2026-10-21 00:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-21 00:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Santa Margarita R A Ysidora (usgs:11046000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/santa-margarita-r-a-ysidora

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