Eel River (CA) near Scotia, CA
River level and flood forecast · Humboldt County
The river is 42.3 ft below flood stage (51 ft).
Forecast to hold near 8.7 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 5 AM.
Flow: 78 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 7:30 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Eel River (CA) near Scotia to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 65 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 60 ft |
| Flood stage | 51 ft |
| Action stage | 45 ft |
| Record crest (December 23, 1964) | 72 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 74 ftExtensive and severe flooding throughout the river valley with major damage to roads, bridges and structures. There will be numerous road closures including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254) and US Highway 101.
- 72 ftExtensive and severe flooding of all areas adjacent to the river is expected with possible damage to roads, bridges and other structures. Expect many road closures including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254) and possibly US Highway 101.
- 67 ftExpect significant flooding in all areas near the river with numerous road closures, including the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
- 62 ftFlooding of many low lying areas near the river is likely. Numerous closures along the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
- 55 ftFlooding of low lying areas near Shively is likely, along with possible closure of portions of the Avenue of the Giants (Highway 254).
- 52 ftMinor flooding in the Shively area is possible.
- 50 ftFlooding of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell is likely. Occupants of the park will need to move their vehicles to higher ground.
- 48 ftFlooding of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell is expected. Occupants of the park may need to move their vehicles to higher ground.
- 46 ftMinor flooding is possible in the northern portion of the River's Edge RV Park in Rio Dell. Occupants of the park need to be ready to move their vehicles to higher ground.
Highest crests on record
- 72 ft — December 23, 1964
- 61.9 ft — December 22, 1955
- 55.5 ft — February 2, 1915
- 55.1 ft — December 11, 1937
- 54.97 ft — January 1, 1997
Recent crests: 45 ft (December 22, 2025) · 41.84 ft (November 22, 2024) · 33.12 ft (January 14, 2024) · 40.49 ft (March 15, 2023) · 39.88 ft (December 31, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SCOC1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.