West Fork Carson River at Woodfords, CA

River level and flood forecast · Alpine County

Normal9.7 ftas of Mon 9:30 PM

The river is 3.8 ft below flood stage (13.5 ft).

Forecast to hold near 9.7 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 5 AM.

Flow: 21 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 7:59 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 West Fork Carson River at Woodfords to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.

Flood stages

Major flood stage	15 ft
Moderate flood stage	14.5 ft
Flood stage	13.5 ft
Action stage	12.5 ft
Record crest (April 7, 2018)	14.42 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

15.5 ftDisastrous, record flooding along entire reach of West Fork Carson River in both Alpine County, California, and Douglas County, Nevada. Extensive damage to homes, businesses, schools, roads, bridges, and irrigation systems. Communications, power, and transportation systems severely disrupted. Many highways, roads, and bridges impassable. Roughly Similar peak level to January 1997 event.
15 ftMajor Flooding. Substantial damage to homes, businesses, schools, and property in south Carson Valley from Centerville to Genoa. Many local roads flood including Centerville, Mottsville, and Muller Lanes. Interruption of power, communications, and water systems. Major flooding also in Alpine County, California, near Woodfords and Paynesville. CA Highways 89 and 88, and NV Highway 88 flood. Downstream Hwy 395 floods.
14.5 ftModerate flooding in southwest Carson Valley between Centerville and Genoa, with some damage to homes and businesses. Many local roads flooded in this area. Minor to moderate flooding in Alpine County, California, near Woodfords and Paynesville. Lane or road closures on Highway 395 north of Stephanie Way likely if combined with flood flows on the East Fork. Similar peak level to December 2005 event.
14 ftMinor flooding in the southwestern Carson Valley between Centerville and Genoa,impacting agricultural areas, local roads, and outbuildings. Impacts will be more significant if heavy rain and/or snowmelt cause significant rises in small creeks draining the east side of the Carson Range below Woodfords. Possible lane closures on Highway 395 north of Stephanie Way if combined with flood flows on the East Fork. Similar peak level to January 2017 event and May 2017 peak snowmelt.
13.5 ftMinor flooding begins in lowest areas along the West Fork of the Carson River in southwest Carson Valley including agricultural areas, local roads and outbuildings. Residents along the river should prepare for more serious flooding if there are additional rises expected due to snowmelt and/or rainfall runoff. Impacts will be more significant if heavy rain and/or snowmelt causes significant rises in small creeks draining the east side of the Carson Range below Woodfords. Similar to peak of Feb 2017 event.
12.5 ftMonitoring Stage. No flooding occurs. However, residents along the West Fork Carson River should be prepared for flooding if there are additional rises expected due to snowmelt and/or rainfall runoff.

Highest crests on record

14.42 ft — April 7, 2018
14.41 ft — December 31, 2005
14.29 ft — May 5, 2017
14.22 ft — January 9, 2017
14.2 ft — May 18, 2005

Recent crests: 14.11 ft (May 19, 2023) · 13.63 ft (May 1, 2023) · 13.63 ft (October 25, 2021) · 13.59 ft (June 7, 2019) · 14.42 ft (April 7, 2018)

Up and down the river, and nearby

See it on the live map →Radar & warnings for Alpine County NWS gauge page USGS gauge 10310000

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (WOOC1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.