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Truckee River at Farad

Highest listed crest 14.37 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft14 crests since 1907

The Truckee River at Farad crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1907 to 2023. The highest, 14.37 ft on November 21, 1950, was major flooding, 3.37 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Truckee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.37 ft
November 21, 1950; 17,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
4
13th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 2, 1997
13.21 ft, major flooding
Location
Nevada County
Near Truckee (10.1 mi), Reno (12.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Truckee River at Farad
Action stage10.03Jan 8, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.03Dec 23, 1964Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.01Dec 23, 1955Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.04Jan 2, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1907 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Truckee River at Farad, 1907 to 2023 810121416ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Mar 18, 1907: 13.40 ft, major flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1928: 11.85 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1937: 13.49 ft, major flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1950: 14.37 ft, major flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1955: 12.98 ft, moderate flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1963: 11.80 ft, minor flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 11.85 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1980: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 8,150 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1986: 10.61 ft, action stage; 9,550 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1997: 13.21 ft, major flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 10.90 ft, action stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2017: 10.41 ft, action stage; 9,160 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2018: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2023: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 5,460 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.37 ft, Nov 21, 1950 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Truckee River at Farad 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Truckee River at Farad
1Nov 21, 195014.37+3.37Major17,500
2Dec 11, 193713.49+2.49Major15,500
3Mar 18, 190713.40+2.40Major15,300
4Jan 2, 199713.21+2.21Major14,900
5Dec 23, 195512.98+1.98Moderate14,400
6Mar 25, 192811.85+0.85Minor12,000
7Dec 23, 196411.85+0.85Minor12,000
8Feb 1, 196311.80+0.80Minor11,900
9Dec 31, 200510.90−0.10Action10,100
10Mar 8, 198610.61−0.39Action9,550
11Jan 8, 201710.41−0.59Action9,160
12Jan 14, 19809.86−1.14Below flood stage8,150
13Apr 7, 20189.00−2.00Below flood stage6,580
14May 23, 20238.35−2.65Below flood stage5,460

The worst floods along the Truckee River

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

November 21, 1950: 14.37 ft here, major flooding

  • TruckeeCA · Nov 20, 1950 · 7.28 ft · Moderate
  • VistaNV · Nov 21, 1950 · 17.15 ft · Minor

December 11, 1937: 13.49 ft here, major flooding

  • VistaNV · Dec 12, 1937 · 18.01 ft · Minor

March 18, 1907: 13.40 ft here, major flooding

  • VistaNV · Mar 18, 1907 · 22.48 ft · Major

Gauges on the Truckee River

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

Flood gauges on the Truckee River
Tahoe CityCA8.09.59 ft, Jan 2, 19971
TruckeeCA5.510.03 ft, Jan 2, 19973
Farad this gaugeCA11.014.37 ft, Nov 21, 19504
MogulNV12.515.85 ft, Jan 2, 19971
RenoNV12.013.52 ft, Dec 31, 20050
VistaNV17.023.46 ft, Feb 1, 19634
TracyNV14.017.39 ft, Dec 31, 20050
Derby DamNV11.014.99 ft, Jan 3, 19970
WadsworthNV15.019.51 ft, Jan 3, 19971
NixonNV10.515.42 ft, Jan 3, 19974

Other gauges in Nevada County

Flood gauges in Nevada County
Boca Reservoir5,605.05,605.55 ft, Dec 23, 19550
Donner Lk Nr Truckee5.56.63 ft, Jan 2, 19970
Truckee8.012.76 ft, Jan 2, 19972

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FARC1, 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.