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Feather River at Nicolaus — water level right now

Sutter County, California · NWS gauge NCOC1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
47
minor flood stage
 
51.6
record crest
set 1955-12-23
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 39
minor · 47
moderate · 48
major · 53.4
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage53.4extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage48some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage47low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage39water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
151.61955-12-23+4.6 above
251.551964-12-23+4.55 above
350.751940-03-30+3.75 above
450.41997-01-02+3.4 above
549.11986-02-20+2.1 above
648.631997-01-04+1.63 above
747.81950-12-21+0.8 above
846.131958-02-260.87 below
946.11960-02-020.9 below
1045.892006-01-011.11 below
1145.862006-01-011.14 below
1244.971995-03-122.03 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Sacramento River at Verona 8 mi away · loading… Sacramento River at Fremont Weir 10 mi away · loading… Feather River at Boyd's Landing 11 mi away · loading… Bear River near Wheatland 13 mi away · loading… Sacramento River below Wilkins Slough 14 mi away · loading… Sacramento River at Tisdale Weir 15 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDNCOC1
CountySutter
StateCalifornia
NWS forecast officeSacramento
River forecast centerCalifornia Nevada River Forecast Center
Coordinates38.891, -121.604
Time zonePST8PDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Feather River at Nicolaus

Is Feather River at Nicolaus flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 47 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Feather River at Nicolaus?

major flood stage 53.4 ft, moderate flood stage 48 ft, minor flood stage 47 ft, action stage 39 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Feather River at Nicolaus?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 51.6 ft, reached on 1955-12-23 — that is 4.6 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Sacramento and local emergency management.