Truckee River below Derby Dam

Highest listed crest 14.99 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft5 crests since 1963

The Truckee River below Derby Dam crested above flood stage 5 times among the 5 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1963 to 2017. The highest, 14.99 ft on January 3, 1997, was minor flooding, 3.99 feet above flood stage. 7 other gauges on the Truckee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 14.99 ft; January 3, 1997; 19,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 11.0 ft; No major stage set
Crests at major: 0; 5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest: January 9, 2017; 14.34 ft, minor flooding
Location: Storey County; Near Fernley (13.5 mi), Sparks (14.6 mi)
Identifiers: NWS TBDN2; USGS 10351600

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Truckee River below Derby Dam

Action stage	10.0	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	11.0	5	Jan 9, 2017	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

5 crests from 1963 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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 below Derby Dam

1	Jan 3, 1997	14.99	+3.99	Minor	19,700
2	Feb 1, 1963	14.78	+3.78	Minor	18,400
3	Feb 19, 1986	14.51	+3.51	Minor	16,900
4	Jan 9, 2017	14.34	+3.34	Minor	16,000
5	Dec 31, 2005	14.13	+3.13	Minor	14,900

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.

January 3, 1997: 14.99 ft here, minor flooding

VistaNV · Jan 2, 1997 · 23.26 ft · Major
WadsworthNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 19.51 ft · Major · its highest
MogulNV · Jan 2, 1997 · 15.85 ft · Major · its highest
NixonNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 15.42 ft · Major · its highest
FaradCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 13.21 ft · Major
TruckeeCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 10.03 ft · Major · its highest
Tahoe CityCA · Jan 2, 1997 · 9.59 ft · Major · its highest

February 1, 1963: 14.78 ft here, minor flooding

VistaNV · Feb 1, 1963 · 23.46 ft · Major · its highest
NixonNV · Feb 2, 1963 · 13.30 ft · Major
TruckeeCA · Feb 1, 1963 · 9.59 ft · Major
FaradCA · Feb 1, 1963 · 11.80 ft · Minor

February 19, 1986: 14.51 ft here, minor flooding

VistaNV · Feb 18, 1986 · 22.00 ft · Major
NixonNV · Feb 19, 1986 · 13.94 ft · Major
WadsworthNV · Feb 19, 1986 · 18.38 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Truckee River

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

Flood gauges on the Truckee River

Tahoe City	CA	8.0	9.59 ft, Jan 2, 1997	1
Truckee	CA	5.5	10.03 ft, Jan 2, 1997	3
Farad	CA	11.0	14.37 ft, Nov 21, 1950	4
Mogul	NV	12.5	15.85 ft, Jan 2, 1997	1
Reno	NV	12.0	13.52 ft, Dec 31, 2005	0
Vista	NV	17.0	23.46 ft, Feb 1, 1963	4
Tracy	NV	14.0	17.39 ft, Dec 31, 2005	0
Derby Dam this gauge	NV	11.0	14.99 ft, Jan 3, 1997	0
Wadsworth	NV	15.0	19.51 ft, Jan 3, 1997	1
Nixon	NV	10.5	15.42 ft, Jan 3, 1997	4

Other gauges in Storey County

Flood gauges in Storey County

Tracy	14.0	17.39 ft, Dec 31, 2005	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TBDN2, 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.