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South Fork Eel River near Miranda

Highest listed crest 46.00 ftFlood stage 33.0 ft45 crests since 1941

The South Fork Eel River near Miranda crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1941 to 2025. The highest, 46.00 ft on December 22, 1964, was major flooding, 13.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
46.00 ft
December 22, 1964; 199,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
33.0 ft
Major flooding from 42.0 ft
Crests at major
2
24th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 1, 1997
33.64 ft, minor flooding
Location
Humboldt County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Fork Eel River near Miranda
Action stage27.016Dec 21, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)33.05Jan 1, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage38.01Feb 17, 1986Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage42.02Dec 22, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1941 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Eel River near Miranda, 1941 to 2025 1020304050ft Flood stage 33.0 ftMajor 42.0 ft Dec 18, 1941: 26.30 ft, below flood stage; 66,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1943: 26.95 ft, below flood stage; 69,200 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1945: 27.73 ft, action stage; 73,200 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1954: 26.27 ft, below flood stage; 65,800 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 42.70 ft, major flooding; 173,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1960: 34.61 ft, minor flooding; 117,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1963: 25.20 ft, below flood stage; 64,500 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1964: 24.00 ft, below flood stage; 59,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1964: 46.00 ft, major flooding; 199,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1966: 32.90 ft, action stage; 107,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 24.79 ft, below flood stage; 70,000 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1970: 27.95 ft, action stage; 85,800 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1970: 29.16 ft, action stage; 92,400 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1971: 25.27 ft, below flood stage; 71,600 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 34.57 ft, minor flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1974: 33.39 ft, minor flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1975: 29.84 ft, action stage; 93,600 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1981: 34.79 ft, minor flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 25.31 ft, below flood stage; 68,000 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1982: 27.30 ft, action stage; 78,800 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 28.43 ft, action stage; 85,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 38.29 ft, moderate flooding; 123,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1993: 32.36 ft, action stage; 91,800 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 31.29 ft, action stage; 81,700 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1995: 28.40 ft, action stage; 65,700 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 33.64 ft, minor flooding; 94,446 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2009: 16.11 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 19.42 ft, below flood stage; 24,700 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2010: 21.17 ft, below flood stage; 29,700 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 2012: 22.28 ft, below flood stage; 35,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 26.99 ft, below flood stage; 53,800 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2014: 18.78 ft, below flood stage; 22,600 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2014: 18.75 ft, below flood stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2015: 23.14 ft, below flood stage; 37,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2016: 27.09 ft, action stage; 53,500 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2017: 32.47 ft, action stage; 74,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 23.89 ft, below flood stage; 37,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 29.99 ft, action stage; 60,600 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2020: 14.93 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2021: 18.07 ft, below flood stage; 19,900 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2022: 28.11 ft, action stage; 51,500 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2023: 23.91 ft, below flood stage; 37,400 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2024: 23.24 ft, below flood stage; 35,300 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 2024: 27.95 ft, action stage; 50,900 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2025: 32.99 ft, action stage; 75,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 46.00 ft, Dec 22, 1964 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Eel River near Miranda 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 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, South Fork Eel River near Miranda
1Dec 22, 196446.00+13.00Major199,000
2Dec 22, 195542.70+9.70Major173,000
3Feb 17, 198638.29+5.29Moderate123,000
4Dec 19, 198134.79+1.79Minor123,000
5Feb 8, 196034.61+1.61Minor117,000
6Jan 16, 197434.57+1.57Minor122,000
7Jan 1, 199733.64+0.64Minor94,446
8Mar 30, 197433.39+0.39Minor115,000
9Dec 21, 202532.99−0.01Action75,500
10Jan 4, 196632.90−0.10Action107,000
11Jan 11, 201732.47−0.53Action74,400
12Jan 21, 199332.36−0.64Action91,800
13Jan 9, 199531.29−1.71Action81,700
14Feb 27, 201929.99−3.01Action60,600
15Mar 18, 197529.84−3.16Action93,600
16Dec 3, 197029.16−3.84Action92,400
17Jan 26, 198328.43−4.57Action85,300
18Jan 13, 199528.40−4.60Action65,700
19Dec 30, 202228.11−4.89Action51,500
20Jan 23, 197027.95−5.05Action85,800
21Nov 22, 202427.95−5.05Action50,900
22Dec 27, 194527.73−5.27Action73,200
23Dec 16, 198227.30−5.70Action78,800
24Jan 17, 201627.09−5.91Action53,500
25Dec 2, 201226.99−6.01Below flood stage53,800
26Jan 21, 194326.95−6.05Below flood stage69,200
27Dec 18, 194126.30−6.70Below flood stage66,000
28Jan 17, 195426.27−6.73Below flood stage65,800
29Feb 16, 198225.31−7.69Below flood stage68,000
30Jan 16, 197125.27−7.73Below flood stage71,600
31Jan 31, 196325.20−7.80Below flood stage64,500
32Jan 31, 196924.79−8.21Below flood stage70,000
33Jan 20, 196424.00−9.00Below flood stage59,000
34Mar 14, 202323.91−9.09Below flood stage37,400
35Feb 14, 201923.89−9.11Below flood stage37,800
36Jan 14, 202423.24−9.76Below flood stage35,300
37Feb 7, 201523.14−9.86Below flood stage37,000
38Jan 21, 201222.28−10.72Below flood stage35,000
39Dec 29, 201021.17−11.83Below flood stage29,700
40Jan 26, 201019.42−13.58Below flood stage24,700
41Mar 29, 201418.78−14.22Below flood stage22,600
42Dec 12, 201418.75−14.25Below flood stage22,500
43Oct 24, 202118.07−14.93Below flood stage19,900
44May 5, 200916.11−16.89Below flood stage16,100
45Jan 26, 202014.93−18.07Below flood stage11,700

Other gauges in Humboldt County

Flood gauges in Humboldt County
Fernbridge20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649
Fort Seward70.082.60 ft, Dec 22, 19640
Scotia51.072.00 ft, Dec 23, 19641
Orleans38.050.25 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Arcata22.032.70 ft, Dec 22, 19642
Hoopa48.057.00 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Bridgeville17.024.00 ft, Dec 22, 19642

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MRNC1, 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.