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Sacramento River above Bend Bridge

Highest listed crest 38.90 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft35 crests since 1940

The Sacramento River above Bend Bridge crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2026. The highest, 38.90 ft on February 28, 1940, was major flooding, 11.90 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Sacramento River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.90 ft
February 28, 1940; 291,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
6
6th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
February 5, 2025
29.10 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tehama County
Near Red Bluff (8.5 mi), Anderson (12.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Sacramento River above Bend Bridge
Action stage22.06Feb 25, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.07Feb 5, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage29.57Mar 15, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.06Feb 16, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1940 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Sacramento River above Bend Bridge, 1940 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 31.0 ft Feb 28, 1940: 38.90 ft, major flooding; 291,000 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1951: 33.28 ft, major flooding; 137,000 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1956: 29.57 ft, moderate flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 36.60 ft, major floodingJan 16, 1974: 32.47 ft, major floodingJan 9, 1978: 28.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1980: 27.64 ft, minor floodingDec 20, 1981: 29.84 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 1983: 35.70 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1986: 32.84 ft, major flooding; 134,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1993: 28.20 ft, minor flooding; 107,100 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 29.76 ft, moderate flooding; 116,030 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1994: 8.90 ft, below flood stage; 19,280 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 27.79 ft, minor flooding; 104,658 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 26.36 ft, action stage; 95,707 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1995: 30.63 ft, moderate flooding; 121,131 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 30.62 ft, moderate flooding; 121,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2002: 24.67 ft, action stageDec 31, 2005: 30.09 ft, moderate flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2011: 26.26 ft, action stageDec 2, 2012: 21.50 ft, below flood stageDec 11, 2014: 27.85 ft, minor floodingJan 18, 2016: 20.54 ft, below flood stageJan 9, 2017: 23.25 ft, action stageFeb 7, 2017: 27.19 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2018: 18.59 ft, below flood stageFeb 27, 2019: 26.22 ft, action stageDec 7, 2019: 11.98 ft, below flood stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2021: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2021: 14.74 ft, below flood stage; 36,800 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2023: 20.42 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 2023: 29.53 ft, moderate floodingFeb 5, 2024: 21.37 ft, below flood stageFeb 5, 2025: 29.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2026: 24.01 ft, action stage Highest, 38.90 ft, Feb 28, 1940 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Sacramento River above Bend Bridge 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 3 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Sacramento River above Bend Bridge
1Feb 28, 194038.90+11.90Major291,000
2Jan 24, 197036.60+9.60Major—
3Mar 1, 198335.70+8.70Major—
4Dec 27, 195133.28+6.28Major137,000
5Feb 16, 198632.84+5.84Major134,000
6Jan 16, 197432.47+5.47Major—
7Mar 15, 199530.63+3.63Moderate121,131
8Jan 1, 199730.62+3.62Moderate121,000
9Dec 31, 200530.09+3.09Moderate118,000
10Dec 20, 198129.84+2.84Moderate—
11Mar 24, 199329.76+2.76Moderate116,030
12Jan 15, 195629.57+2.57Moderate115,000
13Mar 15, 202329.53+2.53Moderate—
14Feb 5, 202529.10+2.10Minor—
15Jan 20, 199328.20+1.20Minor107,100
16Jan 9, 197828.00+1.00Minor—
17Dec 11, 201427.85+0.85Minor—
18Jan 9, 199527.79+0.79Minor104,658
19Feb 19, 198027.64+0.64Minor—
20Feb 7, 201727.19+0.19Minor—
21Mar 9, 199526.36−0.64Action95,707
22Mar 20, 201126.26−0.74Action—
23Feb 27, 201926.22−0.78Action—
24Dec 31, 200224.67−2.33Action—
25Feb 25, 202624.01−2.99Action—
26Jan 9, 201723.25−3.75Action—
27Dec 2, 201221.50−5.50Below flood stage—
28Feb 5, 202421.37−5.63Below flood stage—
29Jan 18, 201620.54−6.46Below flood stage—
30Jan 9, 202320.42−6.58Below flood stage—
31Apr 7, 201818.59−8.41Below flood stage—
32Oct 24, 202114.74−12.26Below flood stage36,800
33Dec 7, 201911.98−15.02Below flood stage27,000
34Dec 10, 19948.90−18.10Below flood stage19,280
35Feb 2, 20215.68−21.32Below flood stage13,500

The worst floods along the Sacramento River

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

February 28, 1940: 38.90 ft here, major flooding

  • Colusa WeirCA · Mar 1, 1940 · 70.60 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Tisdale WeirCA · Mar 1, 1940 · 53.50 ft · Minor · its highest

February 16, 1986: 32.84 ft here, major flooding

  • Tisdale WeirCA · Feb 20, 1986 · 52.66 ft · Minor
  • VeronaCA · Feb 20, 1986 · 42.11 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Sacramento River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Sacramento River
Bend Bridge this gaugeCA27.038.90 ft, Feb 28, 19406
Colusa WeirCA70.170.60 ft, Mar 1, 19400
Hamilton CityCA147.0148.68 ft, Jan 15, 20230
Ord FerryCA114.0116.98 ft, Feb 19, 20170
Red Bluff Diversion DamCA255.5258.99 ft, Feb 5, 20250
Tehama BridgeCA209.5218.51 ft, Jan 21, 19931
Tisdale WeirCA51.653.50 ft, Mar 1, 19400
VeronaCA41.342.11 ft, Feb 20, 19860
Vina-Woodson BridgeCA183.0188.69 ft, Feb 5, 20250

Other gauges in Tehama County

Flood gauges in Tehama County
Red Bluff Diversion Dam255.5258.99 ft, Feb 5, 20250
Tehama Bridge209.5218.51 ft, Jan 21, 19931
Vina-Woodson Bridge183.0188.69 ft, Feb 5, 20250

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BDBC1, 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.