Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Carson River near Carson City

Highest listed crest 19.19 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft17 crests since 1964

The Carson River near Carson City crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2023. The highest, 19.19 ft on January 3, 1997, was major flooding, 9.19 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Carson River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.19 ft
January 3, 1997; 30,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
4
8th of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
February 11, 2017
11.48 ft, major flooding
Location
Carson City
Near Carson City (3.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Carson River near Carson City
Action stage8.09May 23, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.03Jan 10, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.04Feb 11, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1964 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Carson River near Carson City, 1964 to 2023 5101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Dec 25, 1964: 10.44 ft, minor flooding; 8,740 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1979: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 5,060 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1980: 10.17 ft, minor flooding; 8,320 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1982: 9.63 ft, action stage; 7,480 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1982: 8.75 ft, action stage; 6,210 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1983: 9.21 ft, action stage; 6,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 12.90 ft, major flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1986: 8.69 ft, action stage; 6,120 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1995: 9.80 ft, action stage; 7,740 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1996: 8.19 ft, action stage; 5,420 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 19.19 ft, major flooding; 30,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2005: 8.01 ft, action stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 12.24 ft, major flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2017: 10.24 ft, minor flooding; 8,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2017: 11.48 ft, major flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2023: 9.29 ft, action stage; 6,980 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2023: 8.80 ft, action stage; 6,280 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.19 ft, Jan 3, 1997 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Carson River near Carson City 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 6 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 8.10 ft on Jan 28, 1942; 10.29 ft on Jan 22, 1943; 13.99 ft on Nov 22, 1950; 11.92 ft on Dec 4, 1950; 19.04 ft on Dec 24, 1955; 16.46 ft on Feb 1, 1963.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Carson River near Carson City
1Jan 3, 199719.19+9.19Major30,500
2Feb 18, 198612.90+2.90Major13,200
3Dec 31, 200512.24+2.24Major11,900
4Feb 11, 201711.48+1.48Major10,500
5Dec 25, 196410.44+0.44Minor8,740
6Jan 10, 201710.24+0.24Minor8,430
7Jan 15, 198010.17+0.17Minor8,320
8Mar 11, 19959.80−0.20Action7,740
9Feb 17, 19829.63−0.37Action7,480
10Mar 11, 20239.29−0.71Action6,980
11May 31, 19839.21−0.79Action6,860
12May 23, 20238.80−1.20Action6,280
13Apr 12, 19828.75−1.25Action6,210
14Mar 9, 19868.69−1.31Action6,120
15May 17, 19968.19−1.81Action5,420
16May 21, 20058.01−1.99Action5,180
17Jan 12, 19797.92−2.08Below flood stage5,060

The worst floods along the Carson River

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

January 3, 1997: 19.19 ft here, major flooding

February 18, 1986: 12.90 ft here, major flooding

December 31, 2005: 12.24 ft here, major flooding

  • GenoaNV · Dec 31, 2005 · 17.53 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Fort ChurchillNV · Jan 2, 2006 · 8.93 ft · Moderate
  • DaytonNV · Jan 2, 2006 · 22.71 ft · Minor · its highest
  • Deer Run RoadNV · Jan 1, 2006 · 18.33 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Carson River

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

Flood gauges on the Carson River
GenoaNV15.517.53 ft, Dec 31, 20050
Carson City this gaugeNV10.019.19 ft, Jan 3, 19974
Deer Run RoadNV15.524.23 ft, Jan 3, 19970
DaytonNV22.022.71 ft, Jan 2, 20060
Fort ChurchillNV8.013.70 ft, Jan 3, 19973
FallonNV9.19.90 ft, Apr 25, 20170

Other gauges in Carson City

Flood gauges in Carson City
Deer Run Road15.524.23 ft, Jan 3, 19970
At Carson City13.013.10 ft, Jan 11, 20170

Carson City: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nevada

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STWN2, 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.