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Ward Creek above Sunnyside

Highest listed crest 9.74 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft10 crests since 1980

The Ward Creek above Sunnyside crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 10 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1980 to 2018. The highest, 9.74 ft on January 1, 1997, was major flooding, 1.74 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.74 ft
January 1, 1997; 2,530 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
4
13th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
April 7, 2018
8.67 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Placer County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ward Creek above Sunnyside
Action stage7.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.03May 19, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.53Apr 7, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.04Jan 9, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

10 crests from 1980 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ward Creek above Sunnyside, 1980 to 2018 88.599.510ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 9.0 ft Jan 13, 1980: 8.80 ft, moderate flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1981: 9.14 ft, major flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1996: 8.07 ft, minor flooding; 860 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1996: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 9.74 ft, major flooding; 2,530 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2005: 8.19 ft, minor flooding; 945 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 9.01 ft, major flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 8.51 ft, moderate flooding; 1,190 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2017: 9.25 ft, major flooding; 1,925 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2018: 8.67 ft, moderate flooding; 1,336 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.74 ft, Jan 1, 1997 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ward Creek above Sunnyside 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Ward Creek above Sunnyside
1Jan 1, 19979.74+1.74Major2,530
2Jan 9, 20179.25+1.25Major1,925
3Dec 19, 19819.14+1.14Major1,800
4Dec 31, 20059.01+1.01Major1,660
5Jan 13, 19808.80+0.80Moderate1,450
6Apr 7, 20188.67+0.67Moderate1,336
7Dec 2, 20128.51+0.51Moderate1,190
8May 16, 19968.29+0.29Minor1,020
9May 19, 20058.19+0.19Minor945
10Mar 8, 19968.07+0.07Minor860

Other gauges in Placer County

Flood gauges in Placer County
Tahoe City12.514.31 ft, Jan 9, 20170
Tahoe City8.09.59 ft, Jan 2, 19971
Truckee5.510.03 ft, Jan 2, 19973

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WDKC1, 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.