Smith River at Jed Smith near Crescent City, CA
River level and flood forecast · Del Norte County
The river is 24.7 ft below flood stage (29 ft).
Forecast to hold near 4.3 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 5 AM.
Flow: 194 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 Smith River at Jed Smith near Crescent City to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 37 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 34 ft |
| Flood stage | 29 ft |
| Action stage | 25 ft |
| Record crest (December 22, 1964) | 38.4 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 39 ftExtensive and severe flooding of all areas near the river will occur. Significant damage to roads, bridges and other structures near the river is likely. All low lying areas in and around the river will be flooded. All persons in the area should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect life and property.
- 37 ftSevere damage could be inflicted upon roads, bridges and other structures. All low lying areas in and around the river are likely to be flooded. Persons in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate actions to protect life and property.
- 36 ftExtensive flooding is possible along Highway 197 and US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area. Homes and campgrounds in these areas could be threatened, including portions of Jedediah Smith State Park.
- 35 ftConsiderable flooding along Highway 197 and US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area will occur. Low lying homes in these areas are likely to be threatened.
- 34 ftSignificant flooding along Highway 197 and along US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area. Some low-lying homes in these areas may be threatened.
- 32 ftSignificant flooding along Highway 197 in the Gasquet area, with possible flooding of US Highway 199 near Gasquet. Some low-lying homes in these areas may be threatened.
- 29 ftFlooding along Highway 197 and low-lying roads near Gasquet is likely.
- 28 ftFlooding along lower portions of Highway 197 with possible flooding of roads near Gasquet.
- 26 ftMinor flooding along Highway 197 and other low-lying areas near the river.
- 25 ftMinor flooding of the lowest lying areas near the river may occur.
Highest crests on record
- 38.4 ft — December 22, 1964
- 35.6 ft — January 22, 1972
- 35 ft — March 2, 1972
- 34.3 ft — December 22, 1955
- 33 ft — October 29, 1950
Recent crests: 21.49 ft (December 17, 2025) · 27.27 ft (December 29, 2024) · 30.96 ft (January 13, 2024) · 24.92 ft (March 13, 2023) · 22.11 ft (December 27, 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 (CREC1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.