Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Santa Ynez River at Narrows

Highest listed crest 20.56 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft6 crests since 1995

The Santa Ynez River at Narrows crested above flood stage 4 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1995 to 2023. The highest, 20.56 ft on March 6, 2001, was minor flooding, 5.56 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.56 ft
March 6, 2001; 40,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
0
4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 25, 2023
17.77 ft, minor flooding
Location
Santa Barbara County
Near Lompoc (3.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Santa Ynez River at Narrows
Action stage11.02Feb 24, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.04Feb 25, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1995 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Santa Ynez River at Narrows, 1995 to 2023 1015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Mar 11, 1995: 14.73 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1998: 14.36 ft, action stage; 39,400 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2001: 20.56 ft, minor flooding; 40,700 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2005: 17.99 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2023: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 23,375 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2023: 17.77 ft, minor flooding; 23,968 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.56 ft, Mar 6, 2001 199520002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Santa Ynez River at Narrows 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 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. 8 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 22.00 ft on Jan 9, 1907; 12.00 ft on Mar 3, 1938; 9.00 ft on Jan 23, 1943; 10.00 ft on Jan 16, 1952; 24.20 ft on Jan 25, 1969; 18.00 ft on Feb 25, 1969; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Santa Ynez River at Narrows
1Mar 6, 200120.56+5.56Minor40,700
2Jan 11, 200517.99+2.99Minor—
3Feb 25, 202317.77+2.77Minor23,968
4Jan 10, 202317.22+2.22Minor23,375
5Mar 11, 199514.73−0.27Action19,400
6Feb 24, 199814.36−0.64Action39,400

Other gauges in Santa Barbara County

Flood gauges in Santa Barbara County
Garey16.017.78 ft, Jan 10, 20230

Santa Barbara County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NRWC1, 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.