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Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge

Highest listed crest 39.50 ftFlood stage 33.0 ft56 crests since 1950

The Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 56 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2025. The highest, 39.50 ft on December 22, 1964, was major flooding, 6.50 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Smith River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.50 ft
December 22, 1964; 207,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
33.0 ft
Major flooding from 39.0 ft
Crests at major
1
33rd of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 13, 2024
35.04 ft, minor flooding
Location
Del Norte County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge
Action stage27.038Dec 29, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)33.07Jan 13, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage36.04Mar 3, 1972Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage39.01Dec 22, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

56 crests from 1950 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge, 1950 to 2025 25303540ft Flood stage 33.0 ftMajor 39.0 ft Oct 29, 1950: 36.90 ft, moderate flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 37.40 ft, moderate flooding; 176,500 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1964: 39.50 ft, major flooding; 207,000 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1970: 33.20 ft, minor floodingJan 17, 1971: 33.60 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1972: 37.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1972: 37.20 ft, moderate flooding; 173,700 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1973: 32.70 ft, action stageMar 18, 1975: 33.90 ft, minor floodingNov 26, 1977: 29.60 ft, action stageDec 14, 1977: 31.60 ft, action stageJan 13, 1980: 28.40 ft, action stageMar 14, 1980: 28.40 ft, action stageFeb 14, 1982: 30.30 ft, action stageJan 26, 1983: 30.30 ft, action stageFeb 10, 1983: 27.20 ft, action stageFeb 18, 1983: 29.80 ft, action stageMar 30, 1983: 31.60 ft, action stageDec 6, 1983: 29.20 ft, action stageDec 14, 1983: 29.00 ft, action stageDec 30, 1983: 26.90 ft, below flood stageFeb 13, 1984: 30.40 ft, action stageNov 12, 1984: 28.50 ft, action stageJan 16, 1986: 29.50 ft, action stageFeb 22, 1986: 32.70 ft, action stageJan 25, 1987: 26.70 ft, below flood stageDec 10, 1987: 30.80 ft, action stageJan 10, 1988: 26.90 ft, below flood stageNov 22, 1988: 33.90 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1989: 29.40 ft, action stageJan 8, 1990: 34.12 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 1991: 28.40 ft, action stageJan 20, 1993: 30.39 ft, action stageJan 9, 1995: 30.71 ft, action stageDec 12, 1995: 30.00 ft, action stageDec 30, 1995: 27.13 ft, action stageJan 1, 2010: 27.40 ft, action stage; 58,600 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2010: 26.82 ft, below flood stage; 54,500 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2012: 32.36 ft, action stage; 117,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2012: 31.33 ft, action stage; 102,028 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 30.65 ft, action stage; 92,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2014: 29.79 ft, action stage; 82,600 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2014: 29.63 ft, action stageDec 13, 2015: 34.79 ft, minor floodingDec 15, 2016: 30.77 ft, action stageJan 11, 2017: 29.85 ft, action stageJan 20, 2019: 29.56 ft, action stageApr 9, 2019: 31.78 ft, action stageJan 26, 2020: 26.14 ft, below flood stageJan 13, 2021: 30.59 ft, action stageDec 27, 2022: 27.11 ft, action stageMar 13, 2023: 29.72 ft, action stageDec 3, 2023: 27.34 ft, action stageJan 13, 2024: 35.04 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2024: 32.38 ft, action stageDec 19, 2025: 26.84 ft, below flood stage Highest, 39.50 ft, Dec 22, 1964 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 5 5 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 56 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Smith River at Dr Fine Bridge
1Dec 22, 196439.50+6.50Major207,000
2Dec 22, 195537.40+4.40Moderate176,500
3Mar 3, 197237.20+4.20Moderate173,700
4Jan 22, 197237.10+4.10Moderate—
5Oct 29, 195036.90+3.90Moderate170,000
6Jan 13, 202435.04+2.04Minor—
7Dec 13, 201534.79+1.79Minor—
8Jan 8, 199034.12+1.12Minor—
9Mar 18, 197533.90+0.90Minor—
10Nov 22, 198833.90+0.90Minor—
11Jan 17, 197133.60+0.60Minor—
12Nov 24, 197033.20+0.20Minor—
13Nov 5, 197332.70−0.30Action—
14Feb 22, 198632.70−0.30Action—
15Dec 29, 202432.38−0.62Action—
16Jan 19, 201232.36−0.64Action117,900
17Apr 9, 201931.78−1.22Action—
18Dec 14, 197731.60−1.40Action—
19Mar 30, 198331.60−1.40Action—
20Mar 30, 201231.33−1.67Action102,028
21Dec 10, 198730.80−2.20Action—
22Dec 15, 201630.77−2.23Action—
23Jan 9, 199530.71−2.29Action—
24Dec 2, 201230.65−2.35Action92,500
25Jan 13, 202130.59−2.41Action—
26Feb 13, 198430.40−2.60Action—
27Jan 20, 199330.39−2.61Action—
28Feb 14, 198230.30−2.70Action—
29Jan 26, 198330.30−2.70Action—
30Dec 12, 199530.00−3.00Action—
31Jan 11, 201729.85−3.15Action—
32Feb 18, 198329.80−3.20Action—
33Feb 14, 201429.79−3.21Action82,600
34Mar 13, 202329.72−3.28Action—
35Dec 21, 201429.63−3.37Action—
36Nov 26, 197729.60−3.40Action—
37Jan 20, 201929.56−3.44Action—
38Jan 16, 198629.50−3.50Action—
39Jan 10, 198929.40−3.60Action—
40Dec 6, 198329.20−3.80Action—
41Dec 14, 198329.00−4.00Action—
42Nov 12, 198428.50−4.50Action—
43Jan 13, 198028.40−4.60Action—
44Mar 14, 198028.40−4.60Action—
45Mar 4, 199128.40−4.60Action—
46Jan 1, 201027.40−5.60Action58,600
47Dec 3, 202327.34−5.66Action—
48Feb 10, 198327.20−5.80Action—
49Dec 30, 199527.13−5.87Action—
50Dec 27, 202227.11−5.89Action—

The worst floods along the Smith River

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

December 22, 1964: 39.50 ft here, major flooding

December 22, 1955: 37.40 ft here, moderate flooding

March 3, 1972: 37.20 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Smith River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Smith River
Jed Smith near Crescent CityCA29.038.40 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Dr Fine Bridge this gaugeCA33.039.50 ft, Dec 22, 19641

Other gauges in Del Norte County

Flood gauges in Del Norte County
Klamath38.061.29 ft, Dec 23, 19642
Lake Earl near Crescent City9.09.28 ft, Mar 21, 20170
Jed Smith near Crescent City29.038.40 ft, Dec 22, 19641

Del Norte County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FTDC1, 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.