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Novato Creek at Novato (USGS)

Highest listed crest 14.52 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft9 crests since 1970

The Novato Creek at Novato (USGS) crested above flood stage 2 times among the 9 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1970 to 1998. The highest, 14.52 ft on January 4, 1982, was minor flooding, 1.52 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.52 ft
January 4, 1982; 5,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 3, 1998
13.60 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marin County
Near Novato (2.3 mi), San Anselmo (8.7 mi), San Rafael (9.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Novato Creek at Novato (USGS)
Action stage11.04Feb 17, 1986The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.02Feb 3, 1998Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.60—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

9 crests from 1970 to 1998. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Novato Creek at Novato (USGS), 1970 to 1998 1012141618ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Jan 14, 1970: 11.01 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1973: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,970 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1978: 10.56 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1980: 11.94 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 14.52 ft, minor flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 11.20 ft, action stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 12.44 ft, action stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 10.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1998: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 3,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.52 ft, Jan 4, 1982 197019751980198519901995

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Novato Creek at Novato (USGS) 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1 1990s: 1 1970s1980s1990s
  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, Novato Creek at Novato (USGS)
1Jan 4, 198214.52+1.52Minor5,000
2Feb 3, 199813.60+0.60Minor3,300
3Feb 17, 198612.44−0.56Action2,530
4Feb 20, 198011.94−1.06Action2,360
5Jan 26, 198311.20−1.80Action2,140
6Jan 14, 197011.01−1.99Action2,000
7Jan 9, 199510.95−2.05Below flood stage1,830
8Jan 16, 197310.90−2.10Below flood stage1,970
9Jan 16, 197810.56−2.44Below flood stage1,840

Other gauges in Marin County

Flood gauges in Marin County
Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio8.08.11 ft, Jan 4, 19820
Ross17.022.59 ft, Dec 31, 20050

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NVCC1, 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.