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Sacramento River at Butte City — water level right now

Glenn County, California · NWS gauge BTCC1
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
97
minor flood stage
 
96.87
record crest
set 1942-02-07
–
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 · 88.5
minor · 97
moderate · 99.5
major · 100.5
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage100.5extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage99.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage97low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage88.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
196.871942-02-070.13 below
296.71958-02-200.3 below
395.891983-03-021.11 below
495.171941-02-121.83 below
595.151998-02-041.85 below
695.021997-01-021.98 below
794.911986-02-192.09 below
894.891964-12-242.11 below
994.661956-01-162.34 below
1093.531983-12-243.47 below
1193.081980-02-203.92 below
1292.92006-01-014.1 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 Moulton Weir 8 mi away · loading… Sacramento River at Ord Ferry 12 mi away · loading… Cherokee Canal Near Richvale 13 mi away · loading… Sacramento River at Colusa Weir 15 mi away · loading… Sacramento River at Colusa Bridge 17 mi away · loading… Butte Creek Near Durham 19 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBTCC1
CountyGlenn
StateCalifornia
NWS forecast officeSacramento
River forecast centerCalifornia Nevada River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.458, -121.994
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 Sacramento River at Butte City

Is Sacramento River at Butte City 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 97 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Sacramento River at Butte City?

major flood stage 100.5 ft, moderate flood stage 99.5 ft, minor flood stage 97 ft, action stage 88.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Sacramento River at Butte City?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 96.87 ft, reached on 1942-02-07 — that is -0.13 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.