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Cosumnes River at McConnell

Highest listed crest 49.90 ftFlood stage 41.2 ft38 crests since 1964

The Cosumnes River at McConnell crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2026. The highest, 49.90 ft on January 14, 1980, was major flooding, 8.70 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Cosumnes River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
49.90 ft
January 14, 1980; 30,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
41.2 ft
Major flooding from 45.2 ft
Crests at major
8
5th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 5, 2026
43.32 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sacramento County
Near Elk Grove (4.5 mi), Galt (6.6 mi)
Identifiers
NWS MCNC1
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Cosumnes River at McConnell
Action stage38.56Mar 18, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)41.212Jan 5, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage44.53Dec 26, 1983Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage45.28Apr 5, 2006Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1964 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cosumnes River at McConnell, 1964 to 2026 3035404550ft Flood stage 41.2 ftMajor 45.2 ft Dec 23, 1964: 46.10 ft, major flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1966: 37.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,220 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1967: 45.10 ft, moderate flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1968: 38.90 ft, action stage; 4,940 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1969: 44.60 ft, moderate flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1971: 38.20 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1973: 43.70 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1974: 41.80 ft, minor flooding; 9,650 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1975: 40.75 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1976: 31.70 ft, below flood stage; 307 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1977: 31.50 ft, below flood stage; 240 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1978: 42.10 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1979: 39.40 ft, action stage; 5,540 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1980: 49.90 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1983: 45.97 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1983: 44.64 ft, moderate flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1985: 41.90 ft, minor flooding; 9,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 47.10 ft, major floodingMar 6, 1987: 37.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1988: 34.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1989: 42.30 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1989: 31.30 ft, below flood stage; 190 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1997: 48.50 ft, major floodingFeb 4, 1998: 46.56 ft, major floodingJan 1, 2006: 47.02 ft, major floodingApr 5, 2006: 46.12 ft, major floodingMar 14, 2016: 40.19 ft, action stageJan 1, 2017: 43.97 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 2017: 43.84 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 2018: 42.92 ft, minor floodingFeb 15, 2019: 42.04 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2020: 38.18 ft, below flood stage; 6,890 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2021: 32.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2021: 38.99 ft, action stage; 7,790 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2023: 41.90 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 2024: 42.98 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2025: 39.67 ft, action stageJan 5, 2026: 43.32 ft, minor flooding Highest, 49.90 ft, Jan 14, 1980 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cosumnes River at McConnell 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.
  3. 4 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 45.90 ft on Feb 23, 1936; 44.90 ft on Nov 21, 1950; 46.26 ft on Dec 23, 1955; 45.52 ft on Feb 1, 1963.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Cosumnes River at McConnell
1Jan 14, 198049.90+8.70Major30,000
2Jan 2, 199748.50+7.30Major—
3Feb 18, 198647.10+5.90Major—
4Jan 1, 200647.02+5.82Major—
5Feb 4, 199846.56+5.36Major—
6Apr 5, 200646.12+4.92Major—
7Dec 23, 196446.10+4.90Major32,200
8Mar 14, 198345.97+4.77Major31,000
9Jan 22, 196745.10+3.90Moderate23,800
10Dec 26, 198344.64+3.44Moderate20,500
11Jan 22, 196944.60+3.40Moderate20,700
12Jan 1, 201743.97+2.77Minor—
13Feb 10, 201743.84+2.64Minor—
14Jan 17, 197343.70+2.50Minor15,800
15Jan 5, 202643.32+2.12Minor—
16Mar 2, 202442.98+1.78Minor—
17Mar 23, 201842.92+1.72Minor—
18Mar 26, 198942.30+1.10Minor10,900
19Jan 15, 197842.10+0.90Minor10,300
20Feb 15, 201942.04+0.84Minor—
21Feb 9, 198541.90+0.70Minor9,800
22Mar 15, 202341.90+0.70Minor—
23Mar 3, 197441.80+0.60Minor9,650
24Mar 26, 197540.75−0.45Action7,600
25Mar 14, 201640.19−1.01Action—
26Mar 18, 202539.67−1.53Action—
27Feb 21, 197939.40−1.80Action5,540
28Dec 24, 202138.99−2.21Action7,790
29Feb 20, 196838.90−2.30Action4,940
30Dec 25, 197138.20−3.00Below flood stage4,170
31Apr 6, 202038.18−3.02Below flood stage6,890
32Feb 6, 196637.00−4.20Below flood stage3,220
33Mar 6, 198737.00−4.20Below flood stage3,200
34Jan 18, 198834.60−6.60Below flood stage1,550
35Jan 29, 202132.00−9.20Below flood stage3,000
36Aug 15, 197631.70−9.50Below flood stage307
37Feb 23, 197731.50−9.70Below flood stage240
38Nov 27, 198931.30−9.90Below flood stage190

The worst floods along the Cosumnes River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Cosumnes River that crested above flood stage within a week.

January 14, 1980: 49.90 ft here, major flooding

January 2, 1997: 48.50 ft here, major flooding

  • Michigan BarCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 18.54 ft · Major · its highest

February 18, 1986: 47.10 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Cosumnes River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Cosumnes River
McConnell this gaugeCA41.249.90 ft, Jan 14, 19808
Michigan BarCA10.018.54 ft, Jan 2, 19976

Other gauges in Sacramento County

Flood gauges in Sacramento County
Michigan Bar10.018.54 ft, Jan 2, 19976

Sacramento County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MCNC1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.