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Truckee River near Nixon

Highest listed crest 15.42 ftFlood stage 10.5 ft7 crests since 1955

The Truckee River near Nixon crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2017. The highest, 15.42 ft on January 3, 1997, was major flooding, 4.92 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
15.42 ft
January 3, 1997; 21,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.5 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
4
8th of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2017
12.98 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Washoe County
Nevada

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Truckee River near Nixon
Action stage9.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.51Jan 14, 1980Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.52Jan 10, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.04Jan 3, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

7 crests from 1955 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Truckee River near Nixon, 1955 to 2017 10121416ft Flood stage 10.5 ftMajor 13.0 ft Dec 24, 1955: 13.16 ft, major flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1963: 13.30 ft, major flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1964: 11.57 ft, moderate flooding; 9,950 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1980: 10.97 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1986: 13.94 ft, major flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 15.42 ft, major flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2017: 12.98 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.42 ft, Jan 3, 1997 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Truckee River near Nixon 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Truckee River near Nixon
1Jan 3, 199715.42+4.92Major21,200
2Feb 19, 198613.94+3.44Major16,300
3Feb 2, 196313.30+2.80Major14,400
4Dec 24, 195513.16+2.66Major14,000
5Jan 10, 201712.98+2.48Moderate13,500
6Dec 24, 196411.57+1.07Moderate9,950
7Jan 14, 198010.97+0.47Minor8,600

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: 15.42 ft here, major 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
  • 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
  • Derby DamNV · Jan 3, 1997 · 14.99 ft · Minor · its highest

February 19, 1986: 13.94 ft here, major flooding

  • VistaNV · Feb 18, 1986 · 22.00 ft · Major
  • WadsworthNV · Feb 19, 1986 · 18.38 ft · Moderate
  • Derby DamNV · Feb 19, 1986 · 14.51 ft · Minor

February 2, 1963: 13.30 ft here, major flooding

  • VistaNV · Feb 1, 1963 · 23.46 ft · Major · its highest
  • TruckeeCA · Feb 1, 1963 · 9.59 ft · Major
  • Derby DamNV · Feb 1, 1963 · 14.78 ft · Minor
  • FaradCA · Feb 1, 1963 · 11.80 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Truckee River

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

Flood gauges on the Truckee River
Tahoe CityCA8.09.59 ft, Jan 2, 19971
TruckeeCA5.510.03 ft, Jan 2, 19973
FaradCA11.014.37 ft, Nov 21, 19504
MogulNV12.515.85 ft, Jan 2, 19971
RenoNV12.013.52 ft, Dec 31, 20050
VistaNV17.023.46 ft, Feb 1, 19634
TracyNV14.017.39 ft, Dec 31, 20050
Derby DamNV11.014.99 ft, Jan 3, 19970
WadsworthNV15.019.51 ft, Jan 3, 19971
Nixon this gaugeNV10.515.42 ft, Jan 3, 19974

Other gauges in Washoe County

Flood gauges in Washoe County
Verdi7.513.72 ft, Jan 1, 19973
Incline Village3.53.87 ft, Jan 2, 19970
Steamboat4.06.26 ft, Feb 17, 19862
Reno12.013.52 ft, Dec 31, 20050
Vista17.023.46 ft, Feb 1, 19634
Wadsworth15.019.51 ft, Jan 3, 19971
Mogul12.515.85 ft, Jan 2, 19971

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NIXN2, 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.