Tuolumne R A Modesto water level

Name: Tuolumne R A Modesto 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

39.82ft Down 1.25 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 PM PDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 1,140 cfs
Water temperature: 59 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.31 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 03:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 06:42 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Tuolumne R A Modesto is at 39.82 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.18 ft below the flood stage of 55.00 ft.

It has dropped 1.25 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.31 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 03:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 37.58 ft and 41.59 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 59 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 71.21 ftJanuary 4, 1997
Forecast peak: 40.31 ftSaturday, October 24 at 03:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Tuolumne R A Modesto

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

Flood stage here is 55.00 ft, 15.18 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

67.00 ft: Extensive flooding occurs. Flows in excess of 40,000 cfs could cause extensive damage to residential, industrial and commercial development in Modesto downstream of gage.
55.00 ft: This is channel capacity through downtown Modesto.
39.82 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	71.21 ft	January 4, 1997
2	69.19 ft	December 9, 1950
3	66.43 ft	December 25, 1955
4	65.42 ft	January 27, 1969
5	58.90 ft	February 22, 2017
6	57.30 ft	March 14, 1983
7	56.56 ft	March 12, 1995
8	56.17 ft	April 1, 1982
9	55.35 ft	January 2, 1965
10	55.20 ft	March 16, 1986

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 65%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Stanislaus R A RiponRiver gauge	40.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.54 ft	10 mi
San Joaquin River near Crows LandingRiver gauge, San Joaquin River	292 cfs	Low	−35.0 cfs	14 mi
Del Puerto Creek near PattersonRiver gauge, Del Puerto Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
San Joaquin River near VernalisRiver gauge, San Joaquin River	9.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	16 mi
San Joaquin River near NewmanRiver gauge, San Joaquin River	48.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	19 mi
San Joaquin River above Merced River near NewmanRiver gauge, San Joaquin River	159 cfs	Normal	+7.0 cfs	19 mi
San Joaquin R A Fremont Ford BridgeRiver gauge	104 cfs	Normal	+5.4 cfs	22 mi
Mud Slough near GustineRiver gauge, Mud Slough	77.7 cfs	Normal	+8.5 cfs	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Tuolumne R A Modesto?

The official flood stage is 55.00 ft. The level is currently 15.18 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 Tuolumne R A Modesto today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 PM PDT, the water level was 39.82 ft. Down 1.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tuolumne R A Modesto rising or falling?

Down 1.25 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tuolumne R A Modesto normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tuolumne R A Modesto?

The highest level on record is 71.21 ft on January 4, 1997.

Is Tuolumne R A Modesto expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 40.31 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 03:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11290000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.62715, -120.98438 (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	39.82 ft	2026-10-20 05:15	Provisional
Flow	1,140 cfs	2026-10-20 05:15	Provisional
Water temperature	59 °F	2026-10-20 05:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tuolumne R A Modesto (usgs:11290000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/tuolumne-r-a-modesto

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