Smith River near Fort Dick water level

Name: Smith River near Fort Dick 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, Smith River, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

10.99ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM PDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 06:39 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Smith River near Fort Dick is at 10.99 ft, in the normal range.

It is 22.01 ft below the flood stage of 33.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 10.98 ft and 11.00 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 39.50 ftDecember 22, 1964
Forecast peak: 11.04 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Smith River near Fort Dick

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

Flood stage here is 33.00 ft, 22.01 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Many roads and structures in the vicinity of the river are likely to be threatened. Significant flooding expected along US Highways 101 and 199, South Bank Rd, and in low lying areas between Lake Earl and the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive.
38.00 ft: Expect flooding of portions of Highway 197 and South Bank Rd in the vicinity of US Highway 101. Flooding is also expected in low lying areas between Lake Earl and the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive. Some access roads and homes in this area may be flooded.
36.00 ft: Flooding of South Bank Rd in the vicinity of US Highway 101 is likely. Water can flow across low-lying areas into Lake Earl about 4 miles south of the river, including areas along Lower Lake Drive. Some low-lying residential access roads may flood.
33.00 ft: Flooding is likely near the gravel plant and on South Bank Road in the vicinity of US Highway 101. Water may flow across low-lying areas into Lake Earl about 4 miles south of the river, including areas along lower Lake Drive.
31.00 ft: Minor flooding may occur around the gravel plant near US Highway 101 and South Bank Road approximately 1 mile upstream from Doctor Fine Bridge.
10.99 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	39.50 ft	December 22, 1964
2	37.40 ft	December 22, 1955
3	37.20 ft	March 3, 1972
4	37.10 ft	January 22, 1972
5	36.90 ft	October 29, 1950
6	35.04 ft	January 13, 2024
7	34.79 ft	December 13, 2015
8	34.12 ft	January 8, 1990
9	33.90 ft	March 18, 1975
10	33.90 ft	November 22, 1988

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 67° 48° – Wind 5 mph

18 Sun 59° 49° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 63° 48° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 69° 48° 0.04 in Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 65° 47° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 67° 43° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Smith River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smith River near Crescent CityRiver gauge, Smith River	4.26 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chetco River near BrookingsRiver gauge, Chetco River	56.3 cfs	Very low	±0	17 mi
Klamath River near KlamathRiver gauge, Klamath River	7.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	27 mi
Illinois River near KerbyRiver gauge, Illinois River	0.67 ft	Below flood stage	±0	34 mi
Sucker Creek below Little Grayback Creek, near HollandRiver gauge, Sucker Creek	19.2 cfs	Low	+0.8 cfs	39 mi
Indian Creek near Happy CampRiver gauge, Indian Creek	35.6 cfs	Low	+1.7 cfs	39 mi
Redwood C A OrickRiver gauge	10.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	40 mi
Salmon R A Somes BarRiver gauge	159 cfs	Low	+10.0 cfs	49 mi
Applegate River near WildervilleRiver gauge, Applegate River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	50 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Smith River near Fort Dick?

The official flood stage is 33.00 ft. The level is currently 22.01 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 Smith River near Fort Dick today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM PDT, the water level was 10.99 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smith River near Fort Dick rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smith River near Fort Dick normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Smith River near Fort Dick?

The highest level on record is 39.50 ft on December 22, 1964.

Is Smith River near Fort Dick expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 11.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11532650 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.88064, -124.13643 (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	10.99 ft	2026-10-20 06:15	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/15188?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Smith River near Fort Dick water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smith River near Fort Dick (usgs:11532650). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/smith-river-near-fort-dick

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