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Pajaro River at Chittenden

Highest listed crest 33.73 ftFlood stage 24.1 ft29 crests since 1993

The Pajaro River at Chittenden crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1993 to 2026. The highest, 33.73 ft on February 3, 1998, was major flooding, 9.63 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.73 ft
February 3, 1998; 25,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.1 ft
Major flooding from 27.1 ft
Crests at major
5
9th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
March 11, 2023
29.11 ft, major flooding
Location
San Benito County
Near Gilroy (7.4 mi), Watsonville (9.8 mi), Hollister (11.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pajaro River at Chittenden
Action stage22.02Mar 25, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.13Jan 17, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Major flood stage27.15Mar 11, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1993 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pajaro River at Chittenden, 1993 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 24.1 ftMajor 27.1 ft Jan 14, 1993: 24.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,630 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1995: 20.58 ft, below flood stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1995: 32.20 ft, major flooding; 21,500 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1995: 23.88 ft, action stage; 8,090 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 29.53 ft, major flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1998: 33.73 ft, major flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2000: 21.70 ft, below flood stage; 6,320 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2006: 20.75 ft, below flood stage; 5,110 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2008: 12.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2009: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 858 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2010: 13.83 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2011: 22.90 ft, action stage; 5,630 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2012: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 633 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2012: 16.97 ft, below flood stage; 2,910 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2014: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 182 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2014: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 621 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2016: 19.82 ft, below flood stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2017: 26.98 ft, minor flooding; 9,160 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2018: 9.22 ft, below flood stage; 909 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2019: 20.49 ft, below flood stage; 4,540 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2020: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2021: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2021: 11.57 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2023: 27.66 ft, major flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2023: 25.78 ft, minor flooding; 8,670 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2023: 29.11 ft, major flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2024: 15.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2025: 17.68 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2026: 10.23 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.73 ft, Feb 3, 1998 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pajaro River at Chittenden 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 3 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 26 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 29.50 ft on Jan 21, 1909; 24.90 ft on Dec 9, 1909; 25.50 ft on Feb 9, 1915; 24.10 ft on Jan 17, 1916; 28.60 ft on Feb 22, 1917; 24.30 ft on Feb 11, 1919; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Pajaro River at Chittenden
1Feb 3, 199833.73+9.63Major25,100
2Mar 11, 199532.20+8.10Major21,500
3Jan 3, 199729.53+5.43Major15,800
4Mar 11, 202329.11+5.01Major13,200
5Jan 10, 202327.66+3.56Major11,000
6Feb 21, 201726.98+2.88Minor9,160
7Jan 17, 202325.78+1.68Minor8,670
8Jan 14, 199324.85+0.75Minor6,630
9Mar 23, 199523.88−0.22Action8,090
10Mar 25, 201122.90−1.20Action5,630
11Feb 14, 200021.70−2.40Below flood stage6,320
12Apr 5, 200620.75−3.35Below flood stage5,110
13Jan 25, 199520.58−3.52Below flood stage4,450
14Feb 15, 201920.49−3.61Below flood stage4,540
15Mar 14, 201619.82−4.28Below flood stage4,050
16Feb 13, 202517.68−6.42Below flood stage3,180
17Dec 24, 201216.97−7.13Below flood stage2,910
18Feb 8, 202415.48−8.62Below flood stage2,340
19Jan 23, 201013.83−10.27Below flood stage1,850
20Jan 5, 200812.42−11.68Below flood stage1,750
21Dec 28, 202111.57−12.53Below flood stage1,150
22Jan 5, 202610.23−13.87Below flood stage1,120
23Jan 29, 20219.97−14.13Below flood stage1,160
24Mar 4, 20099.96−14.14Below flood stage858
25Apr 6, 20209.60−14.50Below flood stage1,070
26Mar 23, 20189.22−14.88Below flood stage909
27Dec 12, 20148.60−15.50Below flood stage621
28Jan 21, 20128.10−16.00Below flood stage633
29Mar 1, 20145.17−18.93Below flood stage182

Other gauges in San Benito County

Flood gauges in San Benito County
Tres Pinos11.616.00 ft, Feb 3, 19980

San Benito County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AROC1, 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.