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Santa Margarita River at Ysidora

Highest listed crest 15.07 ftFlood stage 12.5 ft10 crests since 1937

The Santa Margarita River at Ysidora crested above flood stage 5 times among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2023. The highest, 15.07 ft on February 14, 2019, was moderate flooding, 2.57 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.07 ft
February 14, 2019; 29,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.5 ft
Major flooding from 16.3 ft
Crests at major
0
5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 14, 2019
15.07 ft, moderate flooding
Location
San Diego County
Near Oceanside (6.4 mi), Vista (10.5 mi), Carlsbad (13.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Santa Margarita River at Ysidora
Action stage10.93Jan 16, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.52Jan 10, 1995Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.83Feb 14, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.30—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Santa Margarita River at Ysidora, 1937 to 2023 1012141618ft Flood stage 12.5 ftMajor 16.3 ft Feb 7, 1937: 10.50 ft, below flood stage; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1938: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1943: 14.05 ft, moderate flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1983: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 14,540 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1991: 11.20 ft, action stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1995: 12.68 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1998: 12.41 ft, action stage; 18,400 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2017: 14.60 ft, moderate flooding; 31,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 15.07 ft, moderate flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2023: 11.73 ft, action stage; 9,435 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.07 ft, Feb 14, 2019 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Santa Margarita River at Ysidora 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 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.
  3. 5 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 18.00 ft on Feb 16, 1927; 15.89 ft on Feb 25, 1969; 18.12 ft on Mar 1, 1978; 18.80 ft on Feb 18, 1980; 20.47 ft on Jan 16, 1993.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Santa Margarita River at Ysidora
1Feb 14, 201915.07+2.57Moderate29,500
2Jan 22, 201714.60+2.10Moderate31,200
3Jan 23, 194314.05+1.55Moderate19,000
4Mar 3, 193812.70+0.20Minor31,000
5Jan 10, 199512.68+0.18Minor15,000
6Feb 23, 199812.41−0.09Action18,400
7Jan 16, 202311.73−0.77Action9,435
8Mar 1, 199111.20−1.30Action14,500
9Feb 7, 193710.50−2.00Below flood stage23,000
10Mar 2, 198310.40−2.10Below flood stage14,540

Other gauges in San Diego County

Flood gauges in San Diego County
Fashion Valley10.016.30 ft, Feb 21, 19800
Oceanside21.021.70 ft, Jan 16, 19930

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge YDRC1, 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.