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Ventura River at Foster Park

Highest listed crest 25.42 ftFlood stage 19.1 ft12 crests since 1938

The Ventura River at Foster Park crested above flood stage 7 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2025. The highest, 25.42 ft on January 10, 2023, was minor flooding, 6.33 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.42 ft
January 10, 2023; 26,416 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.1 ft
Major flooding from 29.3 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
December 26, 2025
20.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Ventura County
Near Ventura (6.6 mi), Carpinteria (11.2 mi), Oxnard (12.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ventura River at Foster Park
Action stage17.21Jan 5, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.17Dec 26, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.90—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.30—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1938 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ventura River at Foster Park, 1938 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 19.1 ftMajor 29.3 ft Mar 2, 1938: 19.20 ft, minor flooding; 39,200 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1952: 15.50 ft, below flood stage; 29,500 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1969: 24.30 ft, minor flooding; 58,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1978: 19.14 ft, minor flooding; 63,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1980: 14.60 ft, below flood stage; 37,900 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1983: 14.46 ft, below flood stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1992: 20.66 ft, minor flooding; 46,700 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2005: 15.40 ft, below flood stage; 30,350 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2023: 18.23 ft, action stage; 11,573 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2023: 25.42 ft, minor flooding; 26,416 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2023: 19.39 ft, minor flooding; 15,644 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2025: 20.78 ft, minor flooding; 18,387 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.42 ft, Jan 10, 2023 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ventura River at Foster Park 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 3 3 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Ventura River at Foster Park
1Jan 10, 202325.42+6.33Minor26,416
2Jan 25, 196924.30+5.21Minor58,000
3Dec 26, 202520.78+1.69Minor18,387
4Feb 12, 199220.66+1.57Minor46,700
5Feb 25, 202319.39+0.30Minor15,644
6Mar 2, 193819.20+0.11Minor39,200
7Feb 10, 197819.14+0.05Minor63,600
8Jan 5, 202318.23−0.86Action11,573
9Jan 15, 195215.50−3.59Below flood stage29,500
10Jan 9, 200515.40−3.69Below flood stage30,350
11Feb 16, 198014.60−4.49Below flood stage37,900
12Mar 1, 198314.46−4.63Below flood stage27,000

Other gauges in Ventura County

Flood gauges in Ventura County
CSUCI Bridge7.910.54 ft, Feb 16, 19802
Ridge View111.0113.57 ft, Dec 24, 20250
North Fork Matilija Creek13.716.04 ft, Dec 26, 20251
Camp Comfort583.4584.69 ft, Dec 26, 20251
Victoria Avenue45.751.94 ft, Jan 10, 20231

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VRVC1, 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.