National Weather Service Hanford CA
1000 AM PDT Fri Apr 26 2019

...RISING WATER LEVELS ANTICIPATED ON RIVERS AND STREAMS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH A THREAT OF FLOODING...

CAZ190>196-271700-
/O.NEW.KHNX.FA.A.0002.190426T1800Z-190429T1600Z/
/00000.0.SM.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Central Sierra Foothills-Southern Sierra Foothills-Central Sierra-
North Kings River-Sequoia Kings-Lake Isabella-Tehachapi Area-
Including the cities of Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Squaw Valley,
Auberry, North Fork, Mariposa, Springville, Three Rivers,
Devils Postpile, Florence Lake, Lake Thomas Edison,
Tuolumne Meadows, Bass Lake, Fish Camp, Wawona, Lake Wishon,
Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Camp Nelson, Giant Forest,
Lodgepole, Cedar Grove, Grant Grove, Hume Lake, Johnsondale,
Lake Isabella, Kernville, and Tehachapi
1000 AM PDT Fri Apr 26 2019

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

The National Weather Service in Hanford has issued a

* Flood Watch for a portion of central California, including the
following areas, Central Sierra, Central Sierra Foothills,
Lake Isabella, North Kings River, Sequoia Kings, Southern
Sierra Foothills, and Tehachapi Area.

* Through Monday morning

* The combination of above normal temperatures and melting snow
over the higher elevations of the Sierra will cause a rise in
water levels along rivers and streams this weekend with a
heightened threat of flooding.

* In Yosemite National Park, the California-Nevada River Forecast
Center expects the Merced River at Pohono Bridge to crest near
its respective flood stage early Saturday morning and again
early Sunday morning. Other rivers in the foothills and higher
elevations of the Sierra may rise to near bankfull this
weekend.

* Residents living near small streams and rivers should remain
alert through the weekend for rising waters and be prepared to
move to a place of safety if the threat of flooding becomes
imminent. Additionally, rivers pose dangerous and life
threatening hazards at this time of year due to their swift
currents and very cold temperatures. Fifteen minutes or less
exposure to the icy cold waters pf a river can lead to
hypothermia. Strong undercurrents can carry even an experienced
swimmer into dangerous parts of a river. Don`t become the next
drowning victim or the victim of a water rescue!


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on
current forecasts.

You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible
Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be
prepared to take action should flooding develop.

&&

$$

Durfee

NPS has issued warnings and water safety tips:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/watersafety.htm

The river stage can be monitored at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/plotReal?staid=POH.

Here's the USGS streamflow site: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv/?site_no=11266500&agency_cd=USGS&

It gives a little more info than the Cal Water Resources page. When the river approaches flood stage, there's a red line across the chart showing where flood stage is.
I assume Cal Water gets their data from USGS anyway.

In 2017, I'm pretty sure the river was below official flood stage when Leidig and Sentinel meadows were pretty thoroughly under water. The water was only a foot or two below Swinging Bridge and the bike path from Swinging Bridge to the Lodge was impassable.

I can imagine crossing the footbridge at Wapama might not be such a swell idea for awhile. Any monitoring sites for this?

Falls Creek Flowrate Plot

The link above is a plot of the last three years flowrate at Falls Creek. You can modify the number of days you want plotted at the bottom.

I'm not sure what at what level the Wapama Falls bridge becomes dangerous to cross. The only data point I have is when we visited in early July of 2017. The flowrate looks like it was about 750 cfs and you couldn't see more than about the first two feet of the bridge before it completely disappeared in the churning torrent of water.

Quote
FatFlatlander
Falls Creek Flowrate Plot

The link above is a plot of the last three years flowrate at Falls Creek. You can modify the number of days you want plotted at the bottom.

I'm not sure what at what level the Wapama Falls bridge becomes dangerous to cross. The only data point I have is when we visited in early July of 2017. The flowrate looks like it was about 750 cfs and you couldn't see more than about the first two feet of the bridge before it completely disappeared in the churning torrent of water.

There were two gentlemen that fell from the bridge in 2011, and one in 2017. Both accidents occurred in late June. Who knows how many people attempt and make it across safely during the riskier periods. Did you make it across, or turn back?

We didn't even think of crossing. NPS had put a big "Trail Closed" sign in front of the bridge to dissuade those who might have thought about giving it a try.