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East Fork Carson River near Markleeville

Highest listed crest 11.64 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft13 crests since 1963

The East Fork Carson River near Markleeville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1963 to 2018. The highest, 11.64 ft on January 2, 1997, was major flooding, 2.64 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the East Fork Carson River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.64 ft
January 2, 1997; 18,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
1
33rd of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 9, 2017
9.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Alpine County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, East Fork Carson River near Markleeville
Action stage8.07Apr 7, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.03Jan 9, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.01Jan 31, 1963Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.01Jan 2, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1963 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the East Fork Carson River near Markleeville, 1963 to 2018 789101112ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Jan 31, 1963: 10.72 ft, moderate flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 8.93 ft, action stage; 9,100 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1980: 8.53 ft, action stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 8.59 ft, action stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1983: 8.38 ft, action stage; 7,640 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1986: 9.07 ft, minor flooding; 9,520 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1995: 7.58 ft, below flood stage; 5,910 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1996: 8.59 ft, action stage; 8,160 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1997: 11.64 ft, major flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2017: 9.77 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2017: 8.67 ft, action stage; 8,380 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2018: 8.15 ft, action stage; 7,010 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.64 ft, Jan 2, 1997 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, East Fork Carson River near Markleeville 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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

Highest listed crests, East Fork Carson River near Markleeville
1Jan 2, 199711.64+2.64Major18,900
2Jan 31, 196310.72+1.72Moderate15,100
3Jan 9, 20179.77+0.77Minor11,700
4Dec 31, 20059.33+0.33Minor10,300
5Mar 8, 19869.07+0.07Minor9,520
6Dec 23, 19648.93−0.07Action9,100
7Feb 10, 20178.67−0.33Action8,380
8Feb 16, 19828.59−0.41Action8,170
9May 15, 19968.59−0.41Action8,160
10Jan 13, 19808.53−0.47Action8,000
11May 30, 19838.38−0.62Action7,640
12Apr 7, 20188.15−0.85Action7,010
13Mar 10, 19957.58−1.42Below flood stage5,910

The worst floods along the East Fork Carson River

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

January 2, 1997: 11.64 ft here, major flooding

  • GardnervilleNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 20.17 ft · Major · its highest

January 31, 1963: 10.72 ft here, moderate flooding

January 9, 2017: 9.77 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the East Fork Carson River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the East Fork Carson River
Markleeville this gaugeCA9.011.64 ft, Jan 2, 19971
GardnervilleNV14.020.17 ft, Jan 3, 19974

Other gauges in Alpine County

Flood gauges in Alpine County
Woodfords13.514.42 ft, Apr 7, 20180

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CEMC1, 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.