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Eel River (CA) near Scotia

Highest listed crest 72.00 ftFlood stage 51.0 ft59 crests since 1914

The Eel River (CA) near Scotia crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 59 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2025. The highest, 72.00 ft on December 23, 1964, was major flooding, 21.00 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Eel River (CA) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
72.00 ft
December 23, 1964; 752,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
51.0 ft
Major flooding from 65.0 ft
Crests at major
1
33rd of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
December 31, 2005
53.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Humboldt County
Near Fortuna (7.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Eel River (CA) near Scotia
Action stage45.016Dec 22, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)51.011Dec 31, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage60.01Dec 22, 1955Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage65.01Dec 23, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

59 crests from 1914 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Eel River (CA) near Scotia, 1914 to 2025 20406080ft Flood stage 51.0 ftMajor 65.0 ft Jan 22, 1914: 52.50 ft, minor flooding; 309,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1915: 55.50 ft, minor flooding; 351,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1917: 51.25 ft, minor flooding; 292,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1927: 45.20 ft, action stage; 221,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1928: 46.30 ft, action stage; 233,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1936: 44.70 ft, below flood stage; 216,000 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1937: 55.10 ft, minor flooding; 345,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1940: 52.25 ft, minor flooding; 305,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1942: 42.20 ft, below flood stage; 209,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1943: 50.75 ft, action stage; 315,000 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1945: 44.60 ft, below flood stage; 239,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1951: 45.39 ft, action stage; 249,000 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1951: 46.50 ft, action stage; 262,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1952: 43.60 ft, below flood stage; 223,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1953: 42.98 ft, below flood stage; 215,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1954: 45.20 ft, action stage; 245,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 61.90 ft, moderate flooding; 541,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1956: 42.20 ft, below flood stage; 205,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1956: 43.45 ft, below flood stage; 221,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1960: 51.45 ft, minor flooding; 343,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1963: 47.00 ft, action stage; 252,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 72.00 ft, major flooding; 752,000 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1966: 45.47 ft, action stage; 311,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1968: 37.99 ft, below flood stage; 211,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1969: 39.00 ft, below flood stage; 223,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 46.98 ft, action stage; 310,000 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1970: 41.29 ft, below flood stage; 234,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 52.31 ft, minor flooding; 387,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1974: 47.74 ft, action stage; 324,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1975: 40.97 ft, below flood stage; 231,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1980: 40.57 ft, below flood stage; 226,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1981: 46.30 ft, action stage; 300,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 39.92 ft, below flood stage; 218,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1982: 39.02 ft, below flood stage; 208,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1983: 46.03 ft, action stage; 296,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 51.08 ft, minor flooding; 364,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1993: 46.03 ft, action stage; 290,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 51.30 ft, minor flooding; 368,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1995: 43.12 ft, below flood stage; 251,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 54.97 ft, minor flooding; 399,316 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 53.13 ft, minor flooding; 332,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 31.09 ft, below flood stage; 94,400 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2010: 34.42 ft, below flood stage; 119,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2012: 32.34 ft, below flood stage; 98,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 44.41 ft, below flood stage; 202,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2014: 29.46 ft, below flood stage; 79,500 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2014: 36.41 ft, below flood stage; 127,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2015: 39.00 ft, below flood stage; 148,000 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2016: 42.05 ft, below flood stage; 177,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2017: 49.32 ft, action stage; 252,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 37.50 ft, below flood stage; 139,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 50.99 ft, action stage; 271,514 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2020: 23.66 ft, below flood stage; 47,700 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2021: 27.57 ft, below flood stage; 68,500 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2022: 39.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,570,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2023: 40.49 ft, below flood stage; 162,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2024: 33.12 ft, below flood stage; 105,000 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 2024: 41.84 ft, below flood stage; 174,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2025: 45.00 ft, action stage; 203,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 72.00 ft, Dec 23, 1964 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Eel River (CA) near Scotia 1910s: 3 3 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 59 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Eel River (CA) near Scotia
1Dec 23, 196472.00+21.00Major752,000
2Dec 22, 195561.90+10.90Moderate541,000
3Feb 2, 191555.50+4.50Minor351,000
4Dec 11, 193755.10+4.10Minor345,000
5Jan 1, 199754.97+3.97Minor399,316
6Dec 31, 200553.13+2.13Minor332,000
7Jan 22, 191452.50+1.50Minor309,000
8Jan 16, 197452.31+1.31Minor387,000
9Feb 28, 194052.25+1.25Minor305,000
10Feb 8, 196051.45+0.45Minor343,000
11Jan 9, 199551.30+0.30Minor368,000
12Feb 25, 191751.25+0.25Minor292,000
13Feb 17, 198651.08+0.08Minor364,000
14Feb 27, 201950.99−0.01Action271,514
15Jan 21, 194350.75−0.25Action315,000
16Jan 11, 201749.32−1.68Action252,000
17Mar 30, 197447.74−3.26Action324,000
18Feb 1, 196347.00−4.00Action252,000
19Jan 24, 197046.98−4.02Action310,000
20Dec 27, 195146.50−4.50Action262,000
21Mar 27, 192846.30−4.70Action233,000
22Dec 20, 198146.30−4.70Action300,000
23Jan 27, 198346.03−4.97Action296,000
24Jan 21, 199346.03−4.97Action290,000
25Jan 5, 196645.47−5.53Action311,000
26Jan 22, 195145.39−5.61Action249,000
27Feb 21, 192745.20−5.80Action221,000
28Jan 17, 195445.20−5.80Action245,000
29Dec 22, 202545.00−6.00Action203,000
30Jan 16, 193644.70−6.30Below flood stage216,000
31Dec 27, 194544.60−6.40Below flood stage239,000
32Dec 2, 201244.41−6.59Below flood stage202,000
33Feb 2, 195243.60−7.40Below flood stage223,000
34Feb 22, 195643.45−7.55Below flood stage221,000
35Jan 14, 199543.12−7.88Below flood stage251,000
36Jan 9, 195342.98−8.02Below flood stage215,000
37Feb 6, 194242.20−8.80Below flood stage209,000
38Jan 16, 195642.20−8.80Below flood stage205,000
39Jan 18, 201642.05−8.95Below flood stage177,000
40Nov 22, 202441.84−9.16Below flood stage174,000
41Dec 4, 197041.29−9.71Below flood stage234,000
42Mar 18, 197540.97−10.03Below flood stage231,000
43Jan 14, 198040.57−10.43Below flood stage226,000
44Mar 15, 202340.49−10.51Below flood stage162,000
45Feb 16, 198239.92−11.08Below flood stage218,000
46Dec 31, 202239.88−11.12Below flood stage1,570,000
47Dec 17, 198239.02−11.98Below flood stage208,000
48Jan 13, 196939.00−12.00Below flood stage223,000
49Feb 7, 201539.00−12.00Below flood stage148,000
50Dec 24, 196837.99−13.01Below flood stage211,000

The worst floods along the Eel River (CA)

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

December 23, 1964: 72.00 ft here, major flooding

  • FernbridgeCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 29.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • Fort SewardCA · Dec 22, 1964 · 82.60 ft · Moderate · its highest

December 22, 1955: 61.90 ft here, moderate flooding

December 11, 1937: 55.10 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Eel River (CA)

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

Flood gauges on the Eel River (CA)
Fort SewardCA70.082.60 ft, Dec 22, 19640
Scotia this gaugeCA51.072.00 ft, Dec 23, 19641
FernbridgeCA20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649

Other gauges in Humboldt County

Flood gauges in Humboldt County
Fernbridge20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649
Fort Seward70.082.60 ft, Dec 22, 19640
Orleans38.050.25 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Arcata22.032.70 ft, Dec 22, 19642
Miranda33.046.00 ft, Dec 22, 19642
Hoopa48.057.00 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Bridgeville17.024.00 ft, Dec 22, 19642

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SCOC1, 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.