Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar

Highest listed crest 18.54 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft65 crests since 1907

The Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 65 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1907 to 2026. The highest, 18.54 ft on January 2, 1997, was major flooding, 8.54 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
18.54 ft
January 2, 1997; 93,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
6
6th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
March 15, 2023
11.14 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sacramento County
Near Rancho Cordova (11.6 mi), Folsom (12.6 mi)

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 Michigan Bar
Action stage7.016Jan 4, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.022Mar 15, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.011Feb 8, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.06Dec 31, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

65 crests from 1907 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar, 1907 to 2026 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 1, 1907: 16.30 ft, major flooding; 71,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1909: 12.00 ft, moderate flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1911: 12.00 ft, moderate flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1914: 10.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 21, 1917: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1919: 10.80 ft, minor floodingJan 18, 1921: 10.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 1925: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1928: 11.00 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1935: 10.43 ft, minor floodingFeb 11, 1938: 10.06 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1940: 11.66 ft, minor flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1942: 11.28 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1943: 10.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1945: 10.51 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1950: 11.85 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1955: 14.59 ft, major flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1958: 12.18 ft, moderate flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1963: 14.11 ft, major flooding; 39,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1964: 6.20 ft, below flood stage; 4,010 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 13.80 ft, moderate flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1965: 5.80 ft, below flood stage; 2,880 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1967: 9.60 ft, action stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1968: 6.30 ft, below flood stage; 4,220 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1969: 10.90 ft, minor flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1971: 7.60 ft, action stage; 8,590 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1971: 6.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1973: 9.20 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1974: 7.70 ft, action stage; 8,980 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1975: 8.25 ft, action stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondOct 27, 1975: 3.80 ft, below flood stage; 434 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1977: 3.20 ft, below flood stage; 202 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1978: 7.90 ft, action stage; 8,250 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1979: 7.50 ft, action stage; 6,990 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1980: 13.17 ft, moderate flooding; 34,190 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1981: 7.20 ft, action stage; 5,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 13.80 ft, moderate flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1983: 11.60 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1983: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1985: 7.30 ft, action stage; 6,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 14.76 ft, major flooding; 45,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1987: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1988: 5.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,445 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1989: 7.50 ft, action stage; 6,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 5.00 ft, below flood stage; 1,515 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1993: 8.20 ft, action stage; 9,580 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1995: 11.35 ft, minor flooding; 24,298 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1997: 18.54 ft, major flooding; 93,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1998: 13.21 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 1999: 11.75 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 2005: 13.68 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 2006: 13.37 ft, moderate floodingMar 7, 2016: 8.89 ft, action stageJan 1, 2017: 13.15 ft, moderate floodingFeb 8, 2017: 12.91 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 2018: 11.67 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2019: 10.05 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2020: 8.26 ft, action stage; 7,180 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2021: 6.56 ft, below flood stage; 3,140 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2021: 10.11 ft, minor flooding; 1,400 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2022: 16.83 ft, major floodingMar 15, 2023: 11.14 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 2024: 9.14 ft, action stageFeb 14, 2025: 9.32 ft, action stageJan 4, 2026: 8.66 ft, action stage Highest, 18.54 ft, Jan 2, 1997 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar 1900s: 2 1910s: 4 1920s: 3 1930s: 2 1940s: 4 1950s: 3 1960s: 3 1970s: 0 1980s: 5 5 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 65 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar
1Jan 2, 199718.54+8.54Major93,000
2Dec 31, 202216.83+6.83Major—
3Mar 1, 190716.30+6.30Major71,000
4Feb 17, 198614.76+4.76Major45,100
5Dec 23, 195514.59+4.59Major42,000
6Feb 1, 196314.11+4.11Major39,400
7Dec 23, 196413.80+3.80Moderate37,500
8Feb 16, 198213.80+3.80Moderate37,000
9Dec 31, 200513.68+3.68Moderate—
10Apr 4, 200613.37+3.37Moderate—
11Feb 3, 199813.21+3.21Moderate—
12Jan 13, 198013.17+3.17Moderate34,190
13Jan 1, 201713.15+3.15Moderate—
14Feb 8, 201712.91+2.91Moderate—
15Apr 3, 195812.18+2.18Moderate29,300
16Jan 13, 190912.00+2.00Moderate28,400
17Jan 31, 191112.00+2.00Moderate28,400
18Nov 18, 195011.85+1.85Minor27,600
19Feb 9, 199911.75+1.75Minor—
20Mar 22, 201811.67+1.67Minor—
21Mar 31, 194011.66+1.66Minor26,200
22Mar 13, 198311.60+1.60Minor26,100
23Mar 11, 199511.35+1.35Minor24,298
24Jan 27, 194211.28+1.28Minor—
25Feb 6, 192511.20+1.20Minor—
26Mar 15, 202311.14+1.14Minor—
27Feb 21, 191711.00+1.00Minor—
28Mar 25, 192811.00+1.00Minor—
29Mar 10, 194310.90+0.90Minor—
30Jan 21, 196910.90+0.90Minor22,600
31Feb 10, 191910.80+0.80Minor—
32Feb 2, 194510.51+0.51Minor—
33Jan 18, 192110.50+0.50Minor—
34Apr 8, 193510.43+0.43Minor—
35Dec 25, 198310.30+0.30Minor19,800
36Oct 25, 202110.11+0.11Minor1,400
37Feb 11, 193810.06+0.06Minor—
38Feb 14, 201910.05+0.05Minor—
39Jan 22, 191410.000.00Minor—
40Jan 22, 19679.60−0.40Action16,100
41Feb 14, 20259.32−0.68Action—
42Jan 16, 19739.20−0.80Action15,000
43Mar 2, 20249.14−0.86Action—
44Mar 7, 20168.89−1.11Action—
45Jan 4, 20268.66−1.34Action—
46Apr 6, 20208.26−1.74Action7,180
47Mar 25, 19758.25−1.75Action11,000
48Jan 21, 19938.20−1.80Action9,580
49Mar 4, 19787.90−2.10Action8,250
50Mar 2, 19747.70−2.30Action8,980

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 2, 1997: 18.54 ft here, major flooding

  • McConnellCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 48.50 ft · Major

February 17, 1986: 14.76 ft here, major flooding

  • McConnellCA · Feb 18, 1986 · 47.10 ft · Major

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
McConnellCA41.249.90 ft, Jan 14, 19808
Michigan Bar this gaugeCA10.018.54 ft, Jan 2, 19976

Other gauges in Sacramento County

Flood gauges in Sacramento County
McConnell41.249.90 ft, Jan 14, 19808

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MHBC1, 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.