TornadoLiveMap

Merced River at Happy Isles — water level right now

Mariposa County, California · NWS gauge HPIC1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
7.5
minor flood stage
 
13.27
record crest
set 1997-01-02
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

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

minor · 7.5
moderate · 10
major · 13.27
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage13.27extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage10some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage7.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
113.271997-01-02+5.77 above
212.731955-12-23+5.23 above
311.551950-11-18+4.05 above
48.422023-05-21+0.92 above

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

Merced River at Pohono Bridge 6 mi away · loading… Robinson Creek (CA) at Twin Lakes 33 mi away · loading… Green Creek (CA) near Bridgeport 35 mi away · loading… Buckeye Creek (CA) near Bridgeport 37 mi away · loading… Virginia Creek (CA) near Bridgeport 37 mi away · loading… East Walker River at Bridgeport Reservoir 45 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDHPIC1
USGS site11264500
CountyMariposa
StateCalifornia
NWS forecast officeHanford
River forecast centerCalifornia Nevada River Forecast Center
Coordinates37.731, -119.559
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 Merced River at Happy Isles

Is Merced River at Happy Isles 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 7.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Merced River at Happy Isles?

major flood stage 13.27 ft, moderate flood stage 10 ft, minor flood stage 7.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Merced River at Happy Isles?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 13.27 ft, reached on 1997-01-02 — that is 5.77 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 Hanford and local emergency management.