American River level at Fair Oaks
California · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 11446500 — AMERICAN R A FAIR OAKS CA
Reading taken · as of 18 min ago
Right around its normal summer float level
At 2,200 CFS, this gauge is running 115% of normal for mid-September — close to the 1,910 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 70 years of record (1956–2026).
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Flow history at Fair Oaks
Daily values from USGS 11446500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes. Provisional.
About American River at Fair Oaks
In California, below Folsom Lake. Releases can change the flow by hundreds of CFS in an hour with no rain in the basin — check it the morning you go, not the night before. Sacramento's mass-market summer raft float.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow here is set by releases from Folsom Lake. A full pool usually means more water on its way down.
American River at Fair Oaks — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change American River at Fair Oaks quickly?
Less than you would expect. Below Folsom Lake, the dam schedule matters more than rainfall — a storm fills the reservoir first, and the operator decides when it reaches you. The river can come up on a clear day.
Is American River at Fair Oaks high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 1,910 CFS, from 70 years of record (1956–2026). Today is 115% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 11446500 every 15 to 60 minutes. This page refreshes from USGS when you open it, and the reading is provisional until USGS reviews it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.