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Carson River near Fort Churchill

Highest listed crest 13.70 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft14 crests since 1943

The Carson River near Fort Churchill crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1943 to 2023. The highest, 13.70 ft on January 3, 1997, was major flooding, 5.70 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
13.70 ft
January 3, 1997; 22,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.5 ft
Crests at major
3
15th of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
February 12, 2017
8.52 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Lyon County
Nevada

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 Fort Churchill
Action stage6.56Jun 1, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.02Jan 11, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.53Feb 12, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.53Jan 3, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1943 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Carson River near Fort Churchill, 1943 to 2023 68101214ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 9.5 ft Jan 24, 1943: 7.51 ft, action stage; 6,300 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1950: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 7,850 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1955: 8.88 ft, moderate flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1963: 11.00 ft, major flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1964: 7.92 ft, action stage; 7,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1986: 11.50 ft, major flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1995: 7.51 ft, action stage; 6,290 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 13.70 ft, major flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2006: 8.93 ft, moderate flooding; 9,800 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2017: 8.17 ft, minor flooding; 7,810 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2017: 8.52 ft, moderate flooding; 8,700 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2023: 7.59 ft, action stage; 5,760 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2023: 7.40 ft, action stage; 6,060 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2023: 7.53 ft, action stage; 6,350 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.70 ft, Jan 3, 1997 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Carson River near Fort Churchill 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 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, Carson River near Fort Churchill
1Jan 3, 199713.70+5.70Major22,300
2Feb 19, 198611.50+3.50Major16,600
3Feb 2, 196311.00+3.00Major15,300
4Jan 2, 20068.93+0.93Moderate9,800
5Dec 26, 19558.88+0.88Moderate9,680
6Feb 12, 20178.52+0.52Moderate8,700
7Nov 23, 19508.18+0.18Minor7,850
8Jan 11, 20178.17+0.17Minor7,810
9Dec 26, 19647.92−0.08Action7,220
10Mar 12, 20237.59−0.41Action5,760
11Jun 1, 20237.53−0.47Action6,350
12Jan 24, 19437.51−0.49Action6,300
13Mar 12, 19957.51−0.49Action6,290
14May 26, 20237.40−0.60Action6,060

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: 13.70 ft here, major flooding

  • Carson CityNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 19.19 ft · Major · its highest
  • Deer Run RoadNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 24.23 ft · Minor · its highest

February 19, 1986: 11.50 ft here, major flooding

January 2, 2006: 8.93 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Carson CityNV · Dec 31, 2005 · 12.24 ft · Major
  • GenoaNV · Dec 31, 2005 · 17.53 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • 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 CityNV10.019.19 ft, Jan 3, 19974
Deer Run RoadNV15.524.23 ft, Jan 3, 19970
DaytonNV22.022.71 ft, Jan 2, 20060
Fort Churchill this gaugeNV8.013.70 ft, Jan 3, 19973
FallonNV9.19.90 ft, Apr 25, 20170

Other gauges in Lyon County

Flood gauges in Lyon County
Dayton22.022.71 ft, Jan 2, 20060
Wellington5.05.06 ft, Jun 5, 19690
Strosnider Ditch8.519.58 ft, Jul 14, 19522
Mason - Snyder Lane9.811.68 ft, Jun 8, 20231
Wabuska10.513.47 ft, Jun 9, 20231
Hudson6.012.18 ft, Jan 3, 19970

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FTCN2, 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.