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Merced River at Pohono Bridge

Highest listed crest 23.43 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft18 crests since 1937

The Merced River at Pohono Bridge crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2023. The highest, 23.43 ft on January 3, 1997, was major flooding, 13.43 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Merced River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.43 ft
January 3, 1997; 24,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
4
13th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 2023
12.08 ft, minor flooding
Location
Mariposa County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Merced River at Pohono Bridge
Flood stage (minor)10.06May 22, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.54May 16, 2005Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.04Jan 3, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1937 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Merced River at Pohono Bridge, 1937 to 2023 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Dec 11, 1937: 20.10 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1950: 20.98 ft, major flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1955: 21.52 ft, major flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 16.96 ft, moderate floodingJun 9, 1978: 10.19 ft, minor flooding; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1980: 13.01 ft, moderate floodingFeb 16, 1982: 9.91 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1982: 13.11 ft, moderate floodingMay 30, 1983: 12.10 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1983: 11.62 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 1984: 8.94 ft, below flood stageJun 5, 1995: 10.70 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 1996: 10.14 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 1997: 23.43 ft, major flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2003: 9.56 ft, below flood stage; 5,900 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2005: 12.54 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2023: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,245 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2023: 12.08 ft, minor flooding; 9,523 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.43 ft, Jan 3, 1997 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Merced River at Pohono Bridge 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Merced River at Pohono Bridge
1Jan 3, 199723.43+13.43Major24,600
2Dec 23, 195521.52+11.52Major23,400
3Nov 19, 195020.98+10.98Major23,000
4Dec 11, 193720.10+10.10Major22,000
5Dec 23, 196416.96+6.96Moderate—
6Apr 11, 198213.11+3.11Moderate—
7Jan 13, 198013.01+3.01Moderate—
8May 16, 200512.54+2.54Moderate10,200
9May 30, 198312.10+2.10Minor—
10May 22, 202312.08+2.08Minor9,523
11Jun 18, 198311.62+1.62Minor—
12Jun 5, 199510.70+0.70Minor—
13Jun 9, 197810.19+0.19Minor6,450
14Jun 13, 199610.14+0.14Minor—
15Feb 16, 19829.91−0.09Below flood stage—
16May 31, 20039.56−0.44Below flood stage5,900
17May 14, 19848.94−1.06Below flood stage—
18Jan 1, 20238.05−1.95Below flood stage4,245

The worst floods along the Merced River

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

January 3, 1997: 23.43 ft here, major flooding

  • Happy IslesCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 13.27 ft · Major · its highest

December 23, 1955: 21.52 ft here, major flooding

November 19, 1950: 20.98 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Merced River

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

Flood gauges on the Merced River
Happy IslesCA7.513.27 ft, Jan 2, 19971
Pohono Bridge this gaugeCA10.023.43 ft, Jan 3, 19974
StevinsonCA71.071.44 ft, Mar 21, 20230

Other gauges in Mariposa County

Flood gauges in Mariposa County
Happy Isles7.513.27 ft, Jan 2, 19971

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge POHC1, 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.