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Klamath River near Seiad Valley

Highest listed crest 33.75 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft16 crests since 1953

The Klamath River near Seiad Valley crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2017. The highest, 33.75 ft on December 23, 1964, was major flooding, 18.75 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Klamath River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.75 ft
December 23, 1964; 165,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
4
13th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
February 10, 2017
17.95 ft, minor flooding
Location
Siskiyou County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Klamath River near Seiad Valley
Action stage13.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.08Feb 10, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.04Dec 20, 1981Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.04Jan 1, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1953 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Klamath River near Seiad Valley, 1953 to 2017 1520253035ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Jan 19, 1953: 20.10 ft, moderate flooding; 55,200 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 29.20 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1958: 16.92 ft, minor flooding; 38,800 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1962: 16.08 ft, minor flooding; 35,100 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 33.75 ft, major flooding; 165,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 20.24 ft, moderate flooding; 56,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1971: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 51,800 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1972: 20.20 ft, moderate flooding; 55,800 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 29.65 ft, major flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1980: 17.49 ft, minor flooding; 41,400 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1981: 22.80 ft, moderate flooding; 71,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 17.83 ft, minor flooding; 43,100 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 28.72 ft, major flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1998: 17.04 ft, minor flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2015: 16.29 ft, minor flooding; 36,076 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2017: 17.95 ft, minor flooding; 43,040 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.75 ft, Dec 23, 1964 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Klamath River near Seiad Valley 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Klamath River near Seiad Valley
1Dec 23, 196433.75+18.75Major165,000
2Jan 16, 197429.65+14.65Major126,000
3Dec 22, 195529.20+14.20Major122,000
4Jan 1, 199728.72+13.72Major117,000
5Dec 20, 198122.80+7.80Moderate71,500
6Jan 24, 197020.24+5.24Moderate56,000
7Mar 3, 197220.20+5.20Moderate55,800
8Jan 19, 195320.10+5.10Moderate55,200
9Jan 17, 197118.50+3.50Minor51,800
10Feb 10, 201717.95+2.95Minor43,040
11Feb 18, 198617.83+2.83Minor43,100
12Jan 14, 198017.49+2.49Minor41,400
13Mar 24, 199817.04+2.04Minor39,000
14Feb 25, 195816.92+1.92Minor38,800
15Feb 7, 201516.29+1.29Minor36,076
16Dec 2, 196216.08+1.08Minor35,100

The worst floods along the Klamath River

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

December 23, 1964: 33.75 ft here, major flooding

  • KlamathCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 61.29 ft · Major · its highest
  • OrleansCA · Dec 22, 1964 · 50.25 ft · Major · its highest

January 16, 1974: 29.65 ft here, major flooding

  • OrleansCA · Jan 16, 1974 · 39.20 ft · Minor
  • KlamathCA · Jan 16, 1974 · 38.90 ft · Minor

January 1, 1997: 28.72 ft here, major flooding

  • KlamathCA · Jan 1, 1997 · 43.80 ft · Moderate
  • OrleansCA · Jan 3, 1997 · 38.23 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Klamath River

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

Flood gauges on the Klamath River
Seiad Valley this gaugeCA15.033.75 ft, Dec 23, 19644
OrleansCA38.050.25 ft, Dec 22, 19641
KlamathCA38.061.29 ft, Dec 23, 19642

Other gauges in Siskiyou County

Flood gauges in Siskiyou County
Fort Jones15.023.67 ft, Jan 16, 19740

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SEIC1, 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.