TornadoLiveMap

Santa Ynez River at Narrows — water level right now

Santa Barbara County, California · NWS gauge NRWC1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
15
minor flood stage
 
24.2
record crest
set 1969-01-25
–
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:

action · 11
minor · 15
moderate · 23
major · 28
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage28extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage23some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage15low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage11water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
124.21969-01-25+9.2 above
2221907-01-09+7 above
320.562001-03-06+5.56 above
4181969-02-25+3 above
517.992005-01-11+2.99 above
617.772023-02-25+2.77 above
717.222023-01-10+2.22 above
816.81978-03-04+1.8 above
914.731995-03-110.27 below
1014.51983-03-010.5 below
1114.361998-02-240.64 below
12121938-03-033 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

Sisquoc River at Garey 19 mi away · loading… Arroyo Grande Creek at 22nd Street Bridge 33 mi away · loading… Los Berros Creek 33 mi away · loading… Mission Creek (CA) near Mission Street 42 mi away · loading… Mission Creek below Gutierrez St 44 mi away · loading… Montecito Creek near Montecito 47 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDNRWC1
USGS site11133000
CountySanta Barbara
StateCalifornia
NWS forecast officeOxnard
River forecast centerCalifornia Nevada River Forecast Center
Coordinates34.637, -120.424
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 Santa Ynez River at Narrows

Is Santa Ynez River at Narrows 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 15 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Santa Ynez River at Narrows?

major flood stage 28 ft, moderate flood stage 23 ft, minor flood stage 15 ft, action stage 11 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Santa Ynez River at Narrows?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 24.2 ft, reached on 1969-01-25 — that is 9.2 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 Oxnard and local emergency management.