Carmel River

Page last updated: March 12, 2023

The Carmel River drainage basin begins 3,500 feet above sea level on the western slopes of the Sierra de Salinas mountain range and drains 225 square miles into the Carmel River, which extends 25 miles, through Carmel Valley, and into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary at Carmel Bay. The San Clemente and Los Padres Dams are situated on the upper reaches of the Carmel River. (Source: Monterey County Water Resource Agency – Major Flood Hazards)

USGS Water Alert allows you to get notifications for changes in water conditions based on thresholds you choose. Observation stations are listed from the headwaters to the mouth of the river. Map of USGS observation stations available via the National Water Dashboard. To learn more about the program, visit USGS’s WaterAlerts page.

River Monitoring Points

Carmel River Lagoon in Monterey County
Lat/Long: 36.535278, -121.924444

National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Carmel River at Highway 1 in Monterey County
Lat/Long: 36.536389, -121.910833

National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Carmel River near Carmel, CA in Monterey County
Lat/Long: 36.539128, -121.880508

USGS Page

USGS WaterAlert – Create Alerts for This Location

National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Carmel River – Robles Del Rio Monterey County
Lat/Long: 36.474861, -121.728889 , Site Identification Number: 11143200

California Nevada River Forecast Center – main page and ensemble forecasts

USGS Page

USGS WaterAlert – Create Alerts for This Location

National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Los Padres Dam
Lat/Long: 36.386111, -121.683611

National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Source: California Data Exchange Center – Stage Maps, additional maps are available for 1 hour ago and 2 hours ago.