Engineering
rC
14?/ state of Cal iforn ia
Hancock Library ot^itl^KS
and Oceanography
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
D e partment of Wa ter Resources
BULLETIN No. 161
^5VT^ OF S0U7H.,v,v
FLOOD!
DECEMBER 1964 -JANUARY 1965
HUGO FISHER
Adm/n/s/rofor
The Resources Agency
JANUARY 1965
EDMUND G. BROWN
Governor
State of California
v>->«v£:MS!rYOFCALIFORNIAl
MAR Z 0 1984
WiiUAM b. WAKNt — '
Director
Department of Water Resources
state of California
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
Department of Wa ter Resources
BULLETIN No, 161
FLOOD!
DECEMBER 1964 -JANUARY 1965
JANUARY 1965
HUGO FISHER
EDMUND G. BROWN
WILLIAM E. WARNE
Adminisfrator
Governor
Director
The Resources Agency
State of California
Department of Water Resources
TC
Hancock Library of Biology 1 ^
and Oceanography C'?^
FOREWORD
The purpose of this report is to document and disseminate, very
quickly, as much data as possible about the Floods of December 196^4^ -
January I965.
Here then, is published a great deal of preliminary information
about the floods: The meteorological conditions and the storm itself; precip-
itation amovmts; runoff quantities eind hydrographs; reservoir operation data;
damage information; and pictures.
But raw figures and graphs and charts and even pictures do not tell
the entire story of a flood, for floods effect people. And once again during
the Christmas season it was the people of majiy areas of Northern California
who were challenged and tested by a capricious mother nature. "Good will to
men" took a somewhat different form during Christmas 196^ in these areas of
Northern California. It took such improbable forms as helicopter pilots
flying — and dying on rescue missions, and in many places there were more
sandbags filled than stockings, and the lights were on the levees -- not on
the trees. That part of the flood story, the people, is beyond the scope
of this report.
This report is for the engineers, planners, and other technical
people who need to know as much as they can, as quickly as they can, about
the flood. Much of the data is of course preliminary and will be revised,
where necessary, when this information is published at a later date in the
annual Bulletin 69-65 - California High Water.
Much of the data for this report was furnished by the many public
and private agencies involved with hydrological activities and flood opera-
tions. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FOREWORD ili
ORGANIZATION, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES xiil
THE FLOODS OF DECEMBER 1964 - JAHUARY I965
INTRODUCTION 1
METEOROLOGY OF THE FLOODS OF DECEMBER 196^^ -
JANUARY 1965 3
December l8-2J , 196k -- The Warm Phase 3
January 2-7, I965 -- The Second Phase 9
RUNOFF 11
North Coast Area 11
Smith River Basin 12
Klamath River Basin 13
Trinity Subbasin 15
Redwood Creek Basin 19
Mad River Basin 22
Mattole River Basin 24
Eel River Basin • 24
Russian River Basin 29
Runoff Volume - North Coast 31
Central Valley Area 33
FLOOD AREAS AND FLOOD DAMAGE 37
North Coast Area 37
Central Valley Area 44
Flooded Areas 44
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
Flood Damages U5
Sacramento Basin k6
San Joaquin Basin kj
TABLES
Table
No. Page
1 PRECIPITATION COMPARISONS - SIERRA NEVADA 7
2 REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - SMITH RIVER BASIN 12
3 SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS - SMITH RIVER BASIN 13
k PEAK STAGE DATA FOR THE KLAMATH RIVER 15
5 REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - KLAMATH RIVER BASIN 17
6 REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - TRINITY RIVER BASIN 17
7 SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS - REIWOOD
CREEK BASIN 21
8 TIME TO PEAK FROM END OF PEAK RAINFALL 21
9 SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS - MAD RIVER BASIN 23
10 REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - MAD RIVER BASIN 2^^
11 SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS - EEL RIVER BASIN 26
12 REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - EEL RIVER BASIN 28
13 SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS - RUSSIAN RIVER 30
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
TABLES (Continued)
Table
No. Page
Ik REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER
STORM - RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN 31
15 ESTIMATED STORM RUNOFF VOLUMES FOR THE DECEMBER
FLOODS OF 1955 AND 1964 32
16 SACRAME3IT0 RIVER FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT WEIR
OVERFLOW DATA 35
17 FLOOD DAMAGE ESTIMATE (In Dollars) 38
18 ESTIMATE OF HOMES, FARM DWELLINGS AND TRAILER HOMES
DESTROYED OR DAMAGED (In Dollars) kO
19 ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE (in Dollars) ''H
20 FLOOD DAMAGE ESTIMATE (In Dollars) k2
21 RED CROSS RECORDS - JANUARY k, I965 kk
APPENDIX
APPENDIX A - RUNOFF
TABLE A-1 PEAK FLOWS AND STAGES .
Page
A-1
North Coastal Area
Central Valley Area
TABLE A- 2 RESERVOIR OPERATIONS .
A-6
vii
TABLE OF CCWTENTS (Continued)
PLATES
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF WEATHER PATTERN Plate 1
METEOROLOGICAL DATA - PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND Plate 2
METEOROLOGICAL DATA - TEMPERATURE Plate 3
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES - NORTH COASTAL AREA,
DECEMBER 196^^ Plate h
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES - SIERRA NEVADA AREA,
DECEMBER 196^+ Plate 5
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES - SIERRA NEVADA AREA,
JANUARY 1965 Plate 6
ISOHYETAL MAP - NORTH COASTAL AREA, DECEMBER l8-27, I96U . . . Plate 7
ISOHYETAL MAP - NORTH COASTAL AREA, DECEMBER 21-22, 1964 . . . Plate 8
ISOHYETAL MAP - CENTRAL VALLEY AREA, DECEMBER 18-27, 1964 . • Plate 9
ISOHYETAL MAP - CENTRAL VALLEY AREA, JANUARY 2-7, 1965 .... Plate 10
HYDROGRAPHS OF SMITH RIVER AMD REIWOOD CREEK Plate 11
HYDROGRAPHS OF MAD AND TRINITY RIVERS Plate 12
HYDROGRAPHS OF EEL RIVER Plate 13
OPERATION OF LAKE MENDOCINO RESERVOIR AND HYDROGRAPH OF
RUSSIAN RIVER Plate ik
OPERATION OF SHASTA RESERVOIR AND HYDROGRAPH OF
SACRAMENTO RIVER Plate 15
OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT, FEATHER RIVER, AND OPERATION
OF BLACK BUTTE RESERVOIR, STONY CREEK Plate I6
HYDROGRAPHS OF BUTTE CREEK AND YUBA RIVER Plate 17
OPERATION OF FOISOM RESERVOIR, AMERICAN RIVER, AND
HYDROGRAPHS OF FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO Plate I8
HYDROGRAPHS OF COSUMNES AND SAN JOAQUIN RIVERS Plate I9
vill
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
PLATES (Continued)
OPERATION OF PARDEE AND CAMANCHE RESERVOIRS,
MOKELDMNE RIVER Plate 20
OPERATION OF LAKE McCLURE RESERVOIR AND HYDROGRAPH
OF MERCED RIVER Plate 21
OPERATION OF DON PEDRO RESERVOIR AND HYDROGRAPH OF
TUOLUMNE RIVER Plate 22
OPERATION OF MELONES AND TULLOCH RESERVOIRS,
STANISLAUS RIVER Plate 23
HYDROGRAPH OF STANISLAUS RIVER AND OPERATION OF NEW
HOGAN RESERVOIR, CALAVERAS RIVER Plate 2k
GAGE HEI(2ITS OF SACRAMENTO RIVER AND YOLO BYPASS Plate 25
GAGE HEIGHTS OF FEATHER RIVER, YUBA RIVER, AND
CACHE CREEK Plate 26
GAGE HEIGHTS OF SAN JOAQUIN RIVER Plate 2?
PRECIPITATION AND STREAM GAGING STATIONS - NORTH
COASTAL AREA Plate 28
MAJOR DISASTER AREAS Plate 29
MAJOR DRAINAGE AREAS IN CALIFORNIA Plate 30
PHOTOGRAPHS
Cover:
December 2k, I96U - AERIAL VIEW OF OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT AND
IMPOUNDED FLOOD WATERS OF FEATHER RIVER. NOTE DEBRIS BEHIND
LOG BOOM AND VORTEX FORMED BY WATER FUHNELING INTO SUBMERGED
DIVERSION TUNNELS. (DWR Photo)
IX
.[ABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
PHOTOGRAPHS (Continued)
Frontispiece:
December 2k 196^^ - AERIAL VIEW OF OROVILLE DAM EMBAMKMENT SHOWING
FEATHER RIVER FLOOD WATERS DISCHARGING THROUGH DIVERSION TUNNELS
BELOW LEFT ABUTMENT OF HANSEL'S BRIDGE. NOTE CONSTRUCTION
FACILITIES, IMPOUNDED FLOOD WATERS, DEBRIS, VORTEX AND MIDDLE
FORK BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT LEFT BACKGROUND. (EWR Photo)
Following Page 10:
December 25. 1964 - U. S. 101 HIGHWAY THROUGH KLAMATH. THE KLAMATH
SlJvELOPEb THIS COMMUNITY TO A DEPTH OF 15 FEET AT THE HEIGHT
OF THE FLOOD: 9&io OF THE TOWN WAS DESTROYED. (Photograph Courtesy
of Eureka Newspapers Inc.)
December 23, I96U - AERIAL VIEW OF HOLMES FLAT ALONG THE SURGING
EEL RIVER. (Photograph Courtesy Eureka Newspapers Inc. - Neil K.
Hiabert)
December 23, 196k - THE JOHN NUNES HOME AT GRIZZLY BUJFFS ENGULFED
IN THE RAMPAGING FLOOD WATERS OF THE EEL RIVER. THE TEN MEMBER
FAMILY WAS TRAPPED IN THE ATTIC FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS BEFORE
RESCUE THE TWO MEMBERS SHOWN CLIMBED OUT ON TOP OF THE HOUSE
AFTER CUTTING A HOLE THROUGH THE ROOF. (Photograph Courtesy of
Eureka Newspapers Inc. - Neil K. Hiilbert)
December 23 196if - EEL RIVER DELTA AND FLOODED AGRICULTURAL LANDS
S ™AiE. NOTE VEHICLES PARKED ON ONLY HIGH GROUND IN FRONT
OF OLD FERNDALE CREAMERY. (Photograph Courtesy of Eureka
Newspapers Inc. - Neil K. Hulbert)
December 2k I96U - DEVASTED TOWN OF WEOTT AUMG SOUTH FORK EEL
RIVER. U. S, 101 HIGHWAY IN BACKGROUND. (Photograph Courtesy
of E\ireka Newspapers Inc. - Neil K. Hulbert)
Following Page 36:
December 2k, 196k - AERIAL VIEW OF BIEWELL BAR ABOVE DEBRIS-
CHOKED CONFLQENCE OF MIDDLE AND NORTH FORKS OF FEATHER RIVER.
BACKWATER CREATED BY OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT EXTENDED UPSTREAM
TO MIDDLE R)RK BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. (DWR Photo)
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
PHOTOGRAPHS (Continued)
Following Page (Continued) :
December 23, 196k - FEATHER RIVER AT OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT.
LOOKING UPSTREAM AT FLOOD WATERS ISSUING FROM DIVERSION
TUNNELS BELOW HANSEL'S BRIDGE AND EMBANKMENT. (IWR Photo)
December 23, 196k - AERIAL VIEW OF PARTIALLY COMPLETED
THERMALITO DIVERSION DAM ON FEATHER RIVER BELOW OROVILLE DAM
EMBANKMENT. NOTE CONSTRUCTION FACILITIES AND CONTRACTOR'S
HAUL RAILROAD. (DMR Photo)
December 2k, I96U - AERIAL VIEW OF BORROW AREA ALONG FEATHER
RIVER BELOW OROVILLE AND OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT. HISTORIC
DREDGER TAILINGS AT RIGHT CENTER OF PICTURE PARTIALLY INUNDATED
BY FLOOD WATERS. (DWR Photo)
December 23, 196^1 - AERIAL VIEW OF FEATHER RIVER AT OROVILLE
LOOKING DOWNSTREAM. HIGHWAY 40A AT LEFT BANK; CONTRACTOR'S HAUL
RAILROAD IN CENTER. NOTE PARTIALLY INUNDATED TRACKS IN BACK-
GROUND. (DWR Photo)
December 25, 196^^ - BRIDGE AND FLOODED ORCHARDS — FEATHER RIVER
NEAR BORROW AREA. (DWR Photo)
December 2k, 196k - AERIAL VIEW OF MARYSVILLE LOOKING SOUTHWEST.
(DWR Photo)
December 25, 196^^ - SACRAMENTO RIVER AT SACRAMENTO WEIR NEAR
SACRAMENTO. (DWR Photo)
December 23, 196^^ - AERIAL VIEW OF TOWER BRIDGE AT SACRAMENTO
RIVER AT SACRAMENTO. (EWR Photo)
December 2k, 196k - AMERICAN RIVER AT FOLSOM BRIDGE WITH FOLSOM
DAM AND RESERVOIR IN BACKGROUND. (DWR Photo)
December 27, 1964 - BANK SLOUGHING ENDANGERING HOMES BUILT ON
FLOOD PLAIN OF AMERICAN RIVER IN VICINITY OF CARMICHAEL.
(DWR Photo)
XI
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
PHOTOGRAPHS (Continued)
Following Page 36 (Continued) :
December 2k, 1964 - AMERICAN RIVER AT SACRAMENTO ABOVE "H" STREET
BRIDGE. (DWR Photo)
December 28, 196^1 - EMERGENCY REPAIRS BEING MADE TO LEFT BANK OF
AMERICAN RIVER BELOW "H" STREET BRIDGE. SACRAMENTO STATE COLLEGE
IN BACKGROUND. (IWR Photo)
December 2k, 196k - AERIAL VIEW OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT ALONG
AMERICAN RIVER NEAE CARMICHAEL. (IWR Photo)
Following Page kQ:
December 2k, ISSk - FLOODED FARM IN YOLO BYPASS. (IWR Photo)
December 21 , I96U - AERIAL VIEW OF TWITCHELL ISLAND FLOOD FIGHT IN
SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA. DREDGE ASSISTED FLOOD FIGHT CREWS
IN COMBATING DAMAGE CAUSED BY HIGH TIDES, HIGH DELTA INFLOW, AND
WAVE WASH. (EWR Photo)
December 2?, I96J+ - VIEW OF TWITCHELL ISLAND FLOOD FIGHT IN
SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA. CONSERVATION CREW INMATES DIRECTED
BY DWR ENGINEERS SAVED THE ISLAND FROM INUNDATION. (DWR Photo)
December 27, 19Sk - PHOTO ILLUSTRATING EFFECT OF TREES BEING
PERMITTED TO ENCROACH ON RIVER SIDE OF LEVEE SLOPE. THESE TREES
INITIATE EDDYING ACTION SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING TREES TO TOPPLE AND
PULL OUT LARGE SECTIONS OF THE LEVEE WITH THEIR ROOT SYSTEM.
(DWR Photo)
December 2k, 1964 - FLOOD FIGHT CREWS PLACING CANVAS WAVE WASH
PANELS ON YOLO BYPASS LEVEES DURING THE NIGHT IN THE VICINITY
OF SACRAMENTO BYPASS. (iWR Photo)
xii
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
EDMDND G. BROWN, Governor
HUGO FISHER, Administrator, The Resources Agency
WILLIAM E. WARNE, Director, Department of Water Resources
ALFRED R. GOIZE' Chief Engineer
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
ROBIN R. REYNOLDS Division Engineer
WILLIAM L. HORN Chief, Water Operations Branch
This report was prepared under the
immediate supervision of
ROBERT W. MILLER Chief, Flood. Operations and Forecasts Unit
by
WILLIAM A. ARVOLA Meteorologist III
JOSEPH B. POWERS Meteorologist III
A. J, BROWN Senior Engineer Water Resources
CHARLES H. HOWARD Associate Engineer Water Resources
RODERICK L. HALL Associate Engineer Water Resources
WARREN J. AMSTUTZ Associate Engineer Water Resources
KENNETH LLOYD Water Resources Engineering Associate
C. A. DETTLOFF Water Resources Engineering Associate
DONALD K. BAKER Assistant Civil Engineer
DAVID L. HAMILTON Assistant Civil Engineer
FRED J. GIENTKE Assistant Engineering Specialist
WILLIAM C. HUGHES Assistant Engineering Specialist
A. L. RAIMUNDO Water Resources Technician II
JOHN RIDDLE Junior Civil Engineer
C. E. FITZGERALD Junior Civil Engineer
J. C. BRINGHAM Water Resources Technician I
RICHARD McGUIRE Engineering Aid II
C. A. HARBEY Intermediate Stenographer
with drafting by
JOHN L. JAMES, SR Supervisor of Drafting Services
xiii
THE FLOODS OF DECEMBER 1964 - JANUARY I965
INTRODUCTION
FloodJ With quickening pace the rivulets of water stream down
the slopes of the mountains of the Coast Reinge and Sierra to swell into
wild angry rivers. Combining forces, these raging torrents surge throxigh
the foothill areas and sweep relentlessly into the vulnerable valleys below.
This scene has been repeated many times in California since the
legendary flood of I86I-62. Each time the dark, swirling waters find more
works of man built to slow and control them. But in California, man is not
yet to that inevitable point in time when he is master of the flood
situation, and he is particularly defenseless in the North Coast.
Nature once again chose Christmas to prove how vulnerable the
North Coast area is -- and she made her point. "A major American disaster"
said Governor Brown viewing the North Coast devastation. Further inland,
the Sacramento Valley, too, was subjected to rainfall that seemed intermi-
nable emd runoff quantities that staggered the imsLgination. But here, in
the Sacramento Valley, man had made his mark; with dams and reservoirs,
channels, bypasses, and levees. Man won in the inland fight — if anyone
wins in a flood. At least man didn't lose.
There were a number of similarities between the floods of 196^)-
and 1955. The weather patterns had shown evidence several times during
the fall of 196^*- of developing into a 1955 storm situation. Once again,
on the weekend of December 19-20, meteorological events began etching a
pictiire of impending trouble. A combination of factors; a warm mass of
moist Pacific air, a flow of cold air from an Alaskan high, a low pressure
trough off the coast, and a strong westerly flow completed the meteorolog-
iceil picture to provide aJjaost optimum conditions for heavy precipitation.
This was the weather pattern on December 21, 1964 — and in December 1955.
The potential of the meteorological situation was realized. The
North Coast received very heavy rainfall accompanied by strong gusty winds.
As the storm moved inland, precipitation was centered primarily in the
basins of the Feather, Yuba, and American Rivers. The heaviest rains
occurred on December 22 and 23, however, the nine-day totals (December
19-27) were also quite impressive.
Resultant runoff from the streams of the Coast Range, almost with-
out exception, produced peak stages and peak flows that exceeded previous
records. Runoff from the Sierra, in the Feather, Yuba, and American
Rivers surpassed all previous records. In the remaining watersheds of
the Sacramento Valley, peak stages and flows tended to about equal those
experienced in 1955. In the northern San Joaquin Valley, runoff from
streams of the Sierra was high but not of record-breaking proportions.
The second storm, of early January, was centered further south than the
Christmas storm and produced flows in northern San Joaquin streams that
were generally higher.
This flood report provides in subsequent pages a compilation in
more detail of the facts and figures of the December 1964 - January I965
flood. The period covered is from December I9, 1964 to January 15, I965.
The information is presented in various forms — tables, graphs, plates
and written description. It is a provisional technical record, subject to
change later as all basic data is collected and analyzed more thoroughly.
METEOROLOGY OF THE FLOODS OF DECEMBER 196k - JMUARY I963
Decemljer 18-27, 196^ -- The Warm Phase
The memories of the notorious flood of December 1955 had scarcely
dimmed with the residents of the North Coast area when another flood, even
more destructive, hit this portion of the state nine years later. The flood
of December I96U - January I965 has much similarity to the earlier flood
with respect to the meteorological features; ironically, the peak flows on
many of the streams occurred on the same date as in the earlier flood.
The broad- scale pressure pattern at the onset of the flood-
producing rains was an elongated area of low pressure across the Pacific
Ocean, extending from the coast of British Columbia southwestward and
westward into the latitude band 30° -^"N across the international date
line. To the south of this elongated west- to-east low, the westerly winds
were increasing on December 20 and carrying a series of frontal systems
eastward toward the Washington-Oregon coast. This progression of events
hastened the transport of warm, moist air from the southerly latitudes of
the Pacific toward the coast. Here strong winds inipinging on the coastal
and inleind mountain barriers were to bring optimxim orographic lifting
and release heavy precipitation from the cloud masses.
Another characteristic of the flow pattern was an area of high
press\ire over Alaska. The effect of this pressure feature was most clearly
observed at the upper levels of the atmosphere, where the injection of cold
polar air southward across the Gulf of Alaska was forced to flow into juxta-
position with the warm air current emanating from the southerly latitudes.
-3-
This strong contrast between cold and warm air masses brought into conflu-
ence served to strengthen the westerly wind flow and maintain an energy-
explosive frontal boundary straddled across the Oregon coast.
On Plate 1 is shown a schematic flow chart at the 500 millibar
pressure surface (about 18,000 feet above sea level) depicting the general
air flow of the troposphere during the pre-Christmas period when the rains
fell most intensely over Northern California. This flow pattern bears a
close resemblance to that in December 1955. The belt of maximum winds in
the 196^ storm was a little further north than in the 1955 pattern, but in
both years the origin of the problem was the sustained flow of moist, tropi-
cal air over California.
In the following paragraphs the synoptic events are described in
more detail with additional charts to illustrate this meteorological event.
On the weekend of December 19 and 20, I96U, a semi stationary low
was centered off the British Columbia coast. This low was narrowly sepa-
rated from a more extended area of low pressure in the central Pacific by
a ridge of high pressure extending southeastward from the Aleutian Islands.
A weak southwest flow of moderately moist air over California was bringing
some light precipitation to Northern sind Central California. The snow
level* of the precipitation in the central Sierra (American River Basin)
was about 6,000 feet. Late on Sunday, December 20, the protective ridge
collapsed and a migratory low pressure center headed towards the Oregon
coast. This development was to set the stage for the next five days when
*Snow level here is defined as the level where the precipitation form
changes from rain to snow.
a strengthened southwest current was to bring a warm, moist air mass to
batter the northern half of the state. On the following days a series of
migratory low pressure centers moved eastward from the vast mid-Pacific
spawning area toward the Pacific Northwest, but the frontal system sepa-
rating the cold and warm air masses did not penetrate southward into
California, except briefly, until Christmas Day. To the south of this
front the pressure gradient directed from south to north remained strong.
This pressure differential, which is normal to the wind flow, is shown on
Plate 2 where the time graph of the pressure difference between San
Francisco and Areata has been plotted along with the Oakland and Medford
850 millibar wind speeds (about 5,000 feet). On the upper part of the
plate is shown the 6 hourly rainfall distribution at Ukiah (this station
lies somewhat to the south of the heavy rainfall area in the Eel River
Basin) . This plot illustrates the sustained strong flow which prevailed
for a three-day period over the North Coast, as well as the inland areas.
The heavy rains were accompamied by strong, gusty surface winds.
Rainfall reports from many stations in open exposures, especially in the
North Coast area, indicate that the catch was deficient due to the tvirbulent
winds. The airport at Areata reported gusts of kO to 50 mph. Other
stations reported gusts of similar magnitude.
The warmth of the tropical air mass is illustrated by the time
plot of the air temperature at two mountain stations. Sexton Stumnit in
southern Oregon (elevation 3>84l feet) and Blue Canyon in the Sierra Nevada
(elevation 5,280 feet). This is shown on Plate 3» The snow level at the
warmest period was about 9,500 feet in southern Oregon and 10,500 feet at
-5-
the latitude of the Central Sierra. Significant also is that the high snow
level remained for a period of several days.
Before the onset of the warm rainstorm, there was a snowpack of
2- to 3-foot depth in the moxintains with the snow line near the 5^000-foot
level. Warm temperatures accompanied the heavy rain on December 21 and 22,
and measurements taken in the snowpack at a number of points in the Sierra
following the stonn indicated that the shallow, lower elevation snow melted
and ran off as would be expected. However, at the higher elevations (above
about 6,000 feet), the existing snowpack intercepted and retained much of
the rainfall. As a result, and contrary to popular belief, the net contri-
bution to the rain-fed runoff was probably negligible.
The heavy rains occurred primarily on the two days, December 21
and 22. Mass or accumulative rainfall cvirves for a number of stations are
shown on Plates h aind 5 • The curves for the stations in the North Coast
area, Ukiah, Willits -Howard, Redwood Creek (O'Kane)*, are based on either
6 hourly or variable-time increment data, but these curves serve to illus-
trate the time distribution of the rainfall. For the Sierra basins, mass
rainfall curves for Brush Creek in the Feather River Basin, Camptonville in
the Yuba Basin, and Blue Canyon in the American River Basin are shown on
Plate 5 • The data for Brush Creek and Camptonville have been obtained from
the Department's radio rain gages; data for Blue Canyon, available only
through December 31^ was taJcen from the published "Local Climatological
Data" by the U. S. Weather Bureau. The table below shows one-day, two-day.
^Station located near where Highway 299 crosses Redwood Creek.
and three-day precipitation totals for selected Sierra stations for this
storm compared to previous record storms.
TABLE 1
PRECIPITATION COMPARISONS - SIERRA NEVADA
Station
Dec. 1955
Oct. 1962
Jan. -Feb.
1963
Dec. I96U
One- Day
Brush Creek
8.68
n.ko
4.99
9.U
Caraptonville
8.85
6.94
5.91
8.83
Blue Canyon
l.hk
7.37
Two -Day
8.70
9.33
Brush Creek
11.93
18.75
9.78
14.56
Caraptonville
13.18
13.32
9.98
16.03
Blue Canyon
13.36
13.81
Three-Day
13.96
15.24
Brush Creek
13.64
23.70
12.55
18.76
Canrptonville
16.38
18.1^7
12.07
20.03
Blue Canyon
18.55
19.55
16.01
19.79
On December 23^ the weather maps indicated a general relsixing of
the southwest flow of moist air. This occurred when the frontal boundary
in the Pacific shifted far enough south to cut off the previously extended
fetch of southwest winds blowing from the warm oceanic region of the
Hawaiian Islands. Some precipitation still continued to fall through the
Christmas holiday, but not with the intensity of the 2-day period
December 21-22.
-7-
On December 26, a migratory low moving eastward on the frontal
bovtndary into Washington succeeded in pushing the cold front southward
across California, with the front passing the North Coast area in the early
afternoon hours on December 26 and the lower Sacramento Valley late that
evening. The passage of this front ended the warm phase of the storm.
The cold air pouring southward out of Alaska in the wake of the
cold front established a pronounced trough of low pressure, both at the
surface (sea level) and aloft, just off the west coast. The snow level in
the North Coast area lowered to 1,500 feet and in the Central Sierra (east
of Sacramento) to 3^000 feet. While the cold air feeding into this trough
was unstable and generated numerous showers, including hail, the saving
featiu-e was that much of the precipitation falling on the already saturated
watersheds came as snow.
During the post-frontal cold phase of the storm, snow fell in the
mountains accompanied by strong winds, bringing blizzard-like conditions.
This seriously impeded highway travel on the trans-Sierra routes and in the
mountain regions of northwestern California where rescue operations were
being carried out to aid flood- stricken inhabitants.
For the isohyetal maps, a map was prepared covering separately
the warm phase of the storm, i.e., from the morning of December l8 to the
morning of December 27, the latter date being the day the cold front moved
through the state. For the North Coast area this is shown on Plate 7 , and
for the Central Valley drainage on Plate 9 • In addition, for the North
Coast area, Plate 8 shows the isohyetal map for the 24-hour period ending
at OBOO, December 22, 1964; this points out the heavy rain which fell on
this area during the severest part of the storm.
-8-
Several stations in the south fork drainage of the Eel River
reported quite large amounts: for the 24-hour period ending at O8OO,
December 22., Richardson Grove had 11. 30 inches; Willits-Howard 8.67 inches;
Garberville 8.29 inches; and Standish-Hickey State Park 10.57 inches.
For the 9-day period, December 18-27, the zones of maximum
amounts included 30 inches in the Eel River Basin, and 25 inches in the
Redwood Creek Basin and the lower Klamath River Basin. Maximum amounts in
the Russian River Basin were 20 inches; Cache Creek Basin 5 inches; and in
the Feather, Yuba, and American River Basins 35 inches.
January 2-7, 1965 -- The Second Phase
The cold trough of low pressure which developed off the coast on
December 27 continued to maintain itself for the following 10 days. With
this semistationary circulation pattern, northerly storm systems moving
through the Gulf of Alaska were swept southward into this large scale
trough. One frontal system, which was not significantly active weatherwise
when it entered the trough on January 2, began to intensify at longitude
130'W and brought a new 5-day precipitation siege to the northern and
central part of California. While this storm raised the snow level in the
North Coast area from 1,500 to 3^500 feet and in the Sierra Nevada from
3,000 to 5^500 feet, this storm did not have the extreme warmth of the
December storm. Nevertheless, rainfall below the snow level was intense
enough to bring new crests to most streams of the Sacramento drainage.
Most of the rain fell in the 5-day period ending at O8OO, January 7, with
10 inches in the Feather-Yuba Basins, and 9 inches in the American River
Basin. This rainfall extended southward into the Sierra basins of the San
Joaquin Valley. The rainfall was svif fie lent to bring substantial runoff for
the basins from the Mokelumne River south to the Chowchilla and Fresno
Rivers. Rainfall amounts in these basins varied from 5 to 6 inches.
Mass rainfall curves for the two stations. Brush Creek in the
Feather River Basin and Canrptonville in the Yuba River Basin, are shown on
Plate 6 . The snow level in the Feather River Basin on January 3 was below
the elevation of Brush Creek (3>560 feet), but rose to above the station
elevation on January ^i-. The steepness of the mass rainfall curve around
noon on January k was partly caused by the melting of snow which accumulated
in the collecting funnel of the rain gage.
Above the snow level, accumulations to the snowpack amounted to
4 to 5 feet. Norden, at elevation 6,900 feet, which reported a snowpack of
86 inches on December 30, had l40 inches by January k.
An isohyetal map for the Central Valley drainage covering the 5-
day period from 0800, January 2 to 0800, January 7, 1965^ is shown on
Plate 10.
-10-
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D
RUNOFF
North Coast Area
The recent floods on the Smithy Klamath, and Eel Rivers exceeded
all previous floods of record -- possibly even the \inrecorded floods of
1861-62. The record-breaking flows in the Smith, Klamath, and Eel River
Basins were generated by the 24-hour intense burst of rainfall that started
on the late afternoon of December 21 — ajad which followed the earlier, but
less intense, precipitation. Although heavy flooding occurred along portions
of the Russian and Mad Rivers, newly constructed dams (since 1955) tempo-
rarily retained upstream runoff and subsequently alleviated downstream peaks.
On Redwood Creek, the town of Orick witnessed the passage of a crest within
a foot of the I955 peak.
The waves of devastation annihilated 26 important U. S. Geological
Survey stream gages in the North Coast. Only on the Russian and the little
Mattole Rivers are there composite records from which an exact analysis of
the flood can be made. Consequently much of the data on the character of
the rise was pieced together from scattered but valuable observations taken
by residents throughout the North Coast.
The text which follows covering North Coast runoff is somewhat
detailed and lengthy. However, this coverage in detail seems quite well
justified considering the great significance of this flood and considering
that previous floods in this area have not been too well documented.
At this time, the analysis of the flood can only be provisional.
With the information available, this treatment will attempt to recreate,
where possible, certain phases of the hydrological mechanism responsible
for propagating the North Coast flood of December 1964.
-11-
Smith River Basin
Heavy precipitation during the latter half of December l^Sk propa-
gated record flows in the 6l3 square mile Smith River Basin. Located in the
extreme northwest comer of the state, recorded precipitation for the
December storm ranged from 9*21 inches on the coast at Crescent City to
26.59 inches at Gasquet Rajiger Station, 12 miles inland along the Middle
Fork of the Smith River.
According to residents in the area, the Smith River near Crescent
City apparently peaked during the morning of December 22 and held steady
throughout the day at a level just under the 1955 peak stage. A sudden
surge that evening pushed the river up another 5 feet to a reported stage
of Ml-. 5 feet around 2100 Pacific Standard Time (PST) . One observer specu-
lated that this rapid rise and even more rapid recession was caused by the
breaching of a slide across the South Fork of the Smith River.
The maucimvun flow past the "Smith River near Crescent City" stream
gage was reported to be 192,000 cfs comp&red to the 1955 peak of 165,000 cfs.
Tabulated below are representative stream and rainfall data avail-
able at this time.
TABLE 2
REPRESENTATIVE RAIHFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
SMITH RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Gage
Rainfall Period
(inclusive)
Rainfall Total
(inches)
Crescent City
Crescent City 7EME
Gasquet Ranger
Station
19-27
19-27
19-27
9.21
18.71
26.59
■12-
TABLE 3
SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS
SMITH RIVER BASIN
Stream
Gaging
Station
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
Provisional
Peak Flow
(cfs)
Peak
Discharge
Per Sq. Mi.
Dec. 20-26, Runoff Volume |
SFD
Acre-
Feet
Inches
Per
Sq. Mi.
Smith River nr
Crescent City
613
192,000
3U
35^,000
700,000
22
Klamath River Basin
The December flood affected devastation throxighout the Klamath
Basin from Iron Gate Dam in extreme north central California to the com-
munity of Klamath at the mouth of the river. The flood completely destroyed
the important USGS stream gages on the Klamath River near Seiad Valley, and
at Somesbar, in addition to inxmdating the gage below Iron Gate Dam and near
Klamath. Many of the historic peaks which occxirred in 1955 were exceeded.
Only in the Trinity River subbasin were there instances of peak flows lower
(because of Trinity Dam) than those occurring in 1955.
The following analysis first discusses the flood on the Klamath
River from Iron Gate to Somesbarj then on the Trinity River from Trinity
Dam to Hoopa; and lastly in the ungaged region from Klamath to Somesbar and
Hoopa. Because of data limitations, this discussion has to be limited to
generalities.
At Iron Gate Dam, Pacific Power and Light (PP&L) reported that a
peak spill of arovuad 23,000 cfs occurred at 2100 PST on December 22 over the
745-foot long side-channel spillway. The spillway has a design capacity of
-13-
30,000 cfs. The region above Iron Gate Dam (and from Shasta Valley) has
perennially produced significantly lower runoff than the downstream regions
through the combined effect of topography, diversions, and a series of four
major PP&L dams. This flow past Iron Gate Dam during the flood merely sus-
tained the recession further downstream.
The Shasta River peaked at 12.i^8 feet about 2200 PST, December 22.
In 1955, the river peaked at 9.i<-3 feet (6,090 cfs). The Shasta River is
partially regulated by the 72,000 acre-foot Lake Dwinnel.
On the Klamath River at the Oak Knoll Ranger Station, an observer
reported a peaJt 2 feet higher than the 1955 crest had occurred around l800
PST, December 22. No discharge figures are available as this is not a rated
section. The ranger estimated the recent peak to be 10 feet above flood
stage.
At Happy Carap, another Forest Service ranger provided important
relative stage data on the crest at this community. His data indicates the
December flood peaked at around 0100 PST, December 23, approximately 10 feet
above the 1955 crest.
Immediately above the "Klamath River at Somesbar" stream gage the
Salmon River flows into the Klamath River. A Corps of Engineers' field team
reported that a 2 to 3 million cubic yard slide occurred in the Salmon River
canyon about 6 miles upstream from the mouth of the river. Reports from
residents indicate that the slide occurred several hours before noon on
December 22, impounded water to an imknown depth and eventually breached
around I7OO PST, December 22.
■Ik-
At the "Klamath River at Somesbar" stream gage, high water marks
suggest that the peak flow was around 300,000 cfs (75-^ feet). This radio
telemark stream gage was completely destroyed.
Further downstream at Orleans, a crest occurred around 2^00 PST,
December 22, approximately 13 feet above the 1955 crest.
Tabulated below are peak stage data for the Klamath River at
various points.
TABLE h
PEAK STAGE DATA FOR THE KLAMATH RIVER
Station
Peak Stage
Feet
Time - Date
of Peak
1955
Peak Stage
Feet
Iron Gate
Shasta River
near Yreka
Oak Knoll
Seiad Valley
Happy Camp
Somesbar
Orleans
Weitchpec
Klamath Glen
13.63
12.1+8
37.9
90-91
75.^
60
70
55. i^
2100 12/22/64
2200 12/22/6k
1800 12/22/64
Evening of
December 22
0130 12/23/64
2300 12/22/64
0100-0200 12/23/64
0200 12/23/64
9.43
35.9
29.2
81-82
59.^
47
50
49.7
Trinity Subbasin
During the storm period December 19-26, Trinity Reservoir stored
approximately 372,200 acre-feet of runoff from the 718-square mile basin
■15-
above the dam. Apparently only 10 inches of runoff was contributed from the
upstream area. The peak inflow to the reservoir probably occurred around
l400 PST, December 22., judging from reports received on the "Trinity River
above Coffee Creek" stream gage which indicated the peak passed at 1230 PST
that day.
Further downstream, "Trinity River near Burnt Ranch" stream gage
recorded a peak of 79,000 cfs (29. 8U feet) occurring at 2^400, December 22.
This flow was 93,000 cfs below the 1955 peak. (Trinity Reservoir un-
doubtedly had a peak inflow in excess of 100,000 cfs and was responsible
for the comparatively low flows throxogh this reach of the river. )
Along the South Fork Trinity River, peaks occurred in the late
afternoon of December 22 in the upstream regions. At the "Trinity River
near Salyer" stream gage, a peak of 95,000 cfs (^7«6 feet) was generated
aroiond 2^*00 PST, December 22, compared to the 1955 peak of 65,100 cfs
(39.^ feet).
Near Hoopa, the reported peak of 260,000 cfs (^2.3 feet) occurred
aroxmd 0200 PST, December 23. The peak here was probably caused by the near
coincidence of the two peaks from the Trinity River and South Fork Trinity
River plus heavy local runoff.
At this time, hydrographs of the Trinity River are not available
for presentation here. Representative rainfall totals for the Klamath and
Trinity River Basins are tabulated below.
.16-
TABLE 5
REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTAIS FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
KLAMATH RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Rainfall Period
Rainfall Total
Gage
(inclusive)
(inches)
Orleans
19-26
17.66
Klamath Glen
19-26
18.15
Yreka
19-26
10.03
Fork Jones
19-26
6.50
Happy Camp
19-26
16.07
TABLE 6
REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL T0TAI5 FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
TRINITY RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Rainfall Period
Rainfall Total
Gage
(inclusive)
(inches)
Forest Glen
20-26
22.06
Big Bar RS
19-26
12.91
Salyer RS
19-24
15.78
Hayfork RS
19-26
10.03
Hoopa 2SE
20-26
18.70
Coffee Creek RS
20-26
15.56
At "Klamath River near Klamath" streeun gage a flov of about
650,000 cfs (55.3 feet) reportedly occurred around 0200 PST, December 23,
-17-
This tremendous discharge completely inxmdated the community of Klamath to
a depth of 15 feet.
At this time, preliminary analysis shows that the hydrological
mechanism which generated the peak at the town of Klamath was the result
of the following:
(1) The surge from the Salmon River canyon,
(2) The tremendous local inflow from the basin below the
Somesbar (Klamath River) and Hoopa (Trinity River) stream gages,
(3) The flow from the Klamath River above the Somesbar
stream gage, and
(U) The flow from the Trinity River above the Hoopa stream
gage.
Available reports would indicate that the surge from the Salmon
River passed the town of Klamath before the 0200 PST peak. However, the
recession from this surge would have been in progress to supplement the
0200 PST peak.
Analysis of the local xingaged area has shown it to be potentially
a significant contributor of runoff. In fact the entire area possesses
hydrological and topographical characteristics similar to the Smith River
Basin from which acceptable analogies have been drawn. A synthesized
hydrograph for this area shows that a peak of over 130,000 cfs could have
been generated from the intense rainfall beginning the late afternoon of
December 21. This local inflow peaJi would have passed Klamath several
hours before the heavy contribution from the upper Klamath and Trinity
Rivers arrived, but as with the Salmon surge, would have supplemented the
0200 PST peak.
-18-
The contribution from the Trinity River woiild have appeared in the
downstream area before the record flows from the Klamath River became avail-
able. However, the time (in view of the hydrograph's durations) between
arrival of these two peaks would have been insignificant. Thus, the near
coincidence of the record flows out of the Klamath £uad Trinity Rivers
supplemented by significant local inflow and the Salmon River surge combined
to produce the destructive flows that inundated the town of Klamath.
Redwood Creek Basin
The USGS maintains two stream gages along this 50-mile long river.
The upstream gage is known as "Redwood Creek near Blue Lake" and is set
several hundred feet upstream from Highway 299 bridge, while the second
gage, at Orick, is near the mouth of the river. The upstream river gage
and an adjacent rain gage (Redwood Creek O'Kane) are equipped with radio
telemarks which can be interrogated by the Eureka Weather Bureau.
During the December delvige over the Redwood Creek Basin, the up-
stream river gage withstood the record flow and, along with the rain gage,
was interrogated frequently from Eureka. The downstream gage, however, was
partially torn loose from the U. S. 101 highway bridge to which it is
attached. Nonetheless, an observer at Orick was able to provide valuable
stage information almost to the crest before he was forced to evacuate
through a foot of water in his establishment.
These three gages were able to provide some interesting data on
the character of the storm and flood in the basin. Interesting because the
voliime of runoff past the upstream gage was conrputed to be 27.9 inches from
■19-
December 20 through December 26, whereas the measured rainfall at the
adjacent rain gage for the same period was 2k inches. Heavier upstreeun
rainfall, poor rain gage ejcposure, rain gage location, and/or high winds
could have acted individually or collectively to produce the obvious
inconsistency. It can be said (with some reservation) that an average of
about 35 inches of rain should have occiirred over the basin.
The rain at Redwood Creek O'Kane, of course, ceinnot be teiken as
representing the basin average rainfall. However, since no rain gages are
located in the basin above Redwood Creek O'Kane, no reasonable quantitative
estimate of heavier upstream rain is possible at this time.
Heavier rainfall (other than that indicated at O'Kane) did occur
in the basin above "Redwood Creek near Blue Lake". Table 7 illustrates
that, per square mile, the region above this gage produced substantially a
greater runoff volvune — somewhere in the order of 30 percent. That is,
the basin above the upper gage produced about 0.7^ sfd/sq.mi., whereas the
basin between the Blue Lake gage above the Orick gage generated 0.56 sfd/
sq.mi. The rain gaige is protected by a tall, dense, circumjacent stand of
trees which aJJ.eviate localized gusts near the orifice. High winds accompa-
nied the rainfall throughout the North Coast and this factor remains as one
of the most probable agents responsible for the discrepancy between rainfall
and runoff. Weather stations at Areata and Red Bluff indicated wind
velocities in excess of 50 miles per hour.
-20-
TABLE 7
SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS
REDWOOD CREEK BASIN
Stream
Gaging
Station
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
Provisional
Peak Flow
(cfs)
Peak
Discharge
Per Sq. Mi.
Dec. 20-26 Runoff Volume
SFD
Acre-
Feet
Inches
Per
Sq. Mi.
Redwood Creek
nr Blue T^ke
Redwood Creek
at Orick
67.5
278
15,100
50 ,000
224
180
50,600
169,000
100,000
3^40,000
28
23
As on other North Coastal rivers there occurred two distinct peaks,
approximately 2k hours apart, with the first and lower crest occurring on
the afternoon of December 21. The first rise was generated by the brief but
intense burst of rainfall from O7OO PST to 1100 PST on December 21.
TABLE 8
TIME TO PEAK FROM END OF PEAK RAINFALL
Gaging
Station
December 21, 196^
December 22, 1964
Time
of Peak
Time
to Peak
Time
of PeaJc
Time
to Peak
Redwood Creek
near Blue Leike
Redwood Creek
At Orick
1300 PST
1700 PST
2 hours
6 hours
1400 PST
1900 PST
0 hours
3 hours
Following 6 hours of insignificant rainfall, over 8.5 inches of
rain were reported at the rain gage during the next 21 hovirs. This produced
a peak at "Redwood Creek near Blue Lake" of around 15,000 cfs and a stage of
-21-
15.6 feet, (compared to 12,100 cfs and stage of 13.68 feet in 1955).
Further downstream at Orick a peak near 50,000 cfs occurred several
hours later.
Time of peaks tabulated here disagree somewhat with the
figures shown in Table 8. Examination of the hydrographs on Plate 11
indicate that the river had effectively peaked (within 0.2 foot)
slightly earlier from the prolonged, intense burst of rainfall be-
ginning 1700 PST, December 21. In the basin above Blue Lake, the
ratio of rain to niDoff was approaching (if not equaling) unity. In
other words, almost 100 percent was occurring as runoff. The intense
rain had (by itoO PST, December 22) completely satxxrated the basin so
that even had the rain continued at the same intensity, a substantially
higher peak would not have occurred.
Mad River Basin
On December 20, an observer at Ruth Dam reported a 24-hour
total rainfall of 5.77 inches. Runoff from this rainfall was sufficient
to fill the nearly 3^000 acre-foot of storage remaining in Ruth Reser-
voir and initiate minor spilling over the 100-foot wide spillway. Thus,
the new Ruth Dam (maximum capacity 51^800 acre-feet) was not able to store
(permant,:,tly) any of the excessive runoff that resulted from the heavy
rain during the subsequent two days. The voliime of runoff contributed
from the Mad River Basin above Ruth Dam has been estimated to be
-22-
approximately 129,000 acre-feet (20 inches per square mile) for the period
December 20 through 26, inclusive.
At "Mad River near Forest Glen" stream gage about 9 miles down-
stream, a reported peak of 20,100 cfs (16.86 feet) occurred at 1700 PST,
December 22. This crest was far below the 1955 peak of 39,200 cfs
{2k.3 feet).
At "Mad River near Areata" stream gage, a peak of 71,000 cfs (23.4
feet) occurred at 0200, December 23. In 1955, the Mad River near Areata
peeiked at 77,800 cfs (27.30 feet). The intakes to the stream gage were
damaged such that drawdown within the gage well occurred. The discharge
was rated to the 26.0-foot high water mark found on the outside of the well.
TABLE 9
SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS
MAD RIVER BASIN
Stream
Gaging
Station
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
Provisional
Peak Flow
(cfs)
Peak
Discharge
Per Sq. Mi.
Dec. 20-26, Runoff Volume |
SFD
Acre-
Feet
Inches
Per
Sq. Mi.
Ruth Dam
Mad River nr
Forest Glen
Mad River nr
Areata
119
k8k
20,100
71,000
141
IU7
65,000*
213,000
129,000*
i^20,000
20*
16
♦Estimated
■23-
TABLE 10
REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL T0TAI£ FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
MAD RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Gage
Rainfall Period
(inclusive)
Rainfall Total
(inches)
Forest Glen
Bridgeville
Blue Lake Guest
20-26
20-26
20-21+
22.06
16.99
17.98
Ruth Dam probably held in temporary storage about 2l+,000 acre-feet
(3.76 inches) during the time of peak nonoff. Because of this, the reser-
voir probably delayed the upstream peak contribution eind alleviated the
downstream crest until portions of intervening local inflow passed the
Areata gage.
Mattole River Basin
The 2lK)-square mile Mattole River Basin experienced heavy rainfall
during the storm period. At Honeydew, a December 19-21+ rainfall total of
26.0 inches was recorded.
The resulting runoff generated a peak flow of over 80,000 cfs
(28.2 feet) on December 22, well below the 90,1+00 cfs (29.6 feet) recorded
in 1955.
Eel River Basin
Every importajit stream gage in the Eel River was either destroyed
or inundated. At this time, only the Fembridge stage hydrograph is com-
plete for the entire storm runoff duration. The following discussion is
.21+.
therefore based on preliminary high water marks and corresponding peak dis-
charges. Residents of the "basin provided information on the time the crest
apparently occurred.
Scott Dam is a concrete gravity structure situated in the head-
waters of the Eel River Basin north of Clear Lake. At the start of the
storm, only l6,400 acre-feet of storage (1.05 inches/square mile) was avail-
able behind Scott Dam in Lake Pillsbury. The reservoir became full early
December 21 and by I6OO PST that day was reportedly spilling 6,kO0 cfs. At
the peak the following afternoon, approximately 58^000 cfs was passing over
the crest of the dam. The time of this peak was probably around I9OO PST.
Eight miles downstream at Van Arsdale Dam an observer recorded the passage
of a crest at I93O PST, December 22, which was later estimated to be 62,000
cfs. Scott Dam undoubtedly attenuated the inflow hydrograph both in magni-
tude and duration, causing the time of peak contribution to be delayed
several hours in the downstream regions.
At the "Eel River above Dos Rios" stream gage, high water marks
indicated that the river crested at 5U feet (175,000 cfs) about 8.6 feet
above the December 1955 peak.
On the Middle Fork of the Eel River, the U. S. Forest Service
rangers near Covelo provided valuable stage information. They indicated
that a minor peak occurred at 2000 PST, December 21 as a resvilt of the
heavy rain which fell around noon. A prolonged intense period of rainfall
through the morning of the 22nd generated a peak flow of 165,000 cfs
(33.1 feet) at 2100, December 22. The I955 peak was 89,100 cfs (25.0 feet).
■25-
TABLE 11
SELECTED PEAK RUKOFF EVENTS
EEL RIVER BASIN
Stream
Gaging
Station
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
Provisional
Peak Flow
(cfs)
Peak
Discharge
Per Sq. Mi.
Dec. 20-26, Rimoff Volume
SFD
Acre-
Feet
Inches
Per
Sq. Mi.
Eel River
below
Scott Dam
Eel River at
AldeiTpoint
South Fork
Eel River
nr Miranda
Eel River
at Scotia
290
2,079
537
3,113
58,000
600,000
200,000
750,000
200
289
372
241
104,200
1,510,000
390,000
1,860,000
207,000
2,980,000
772,000
3,720,000
13
27
27
22
At the "Eel River below Dos Rios" stream gage, the reported peak
was 460,000 cfs (63.1 feet) occxirring around I8OO PST, December 22.
Further downstream on the Eel River at Alderpoint a reported peak
of 600,000 cfs (90.5 feet) occurred around 2000 PST, December 22. This is
approximately 224,000 cfs and I8 feet above the 1955 peaks. At O6OO PST,
December I9, the stage was 4.9 feet, indicating that the river rose 85.6
feet in 86 hours. Extremely heavy flows eminating from the North Fork
contributed markedly to this peak.
In the headwaters of the South Fork Eel River, near Branscomb, a
peak of 19,900 cfs (l6.l4 feet) occurred on December 22. Further downstream
a peak estimated at 200,000 cfs (45.9 feet) was interpreted from high water
marks at the inundated stream gage of "South Fork Eel River near Miranda".
-26-
Apparently the ^3*9 square miles above the Branscojnb gage did not experience
as heavy rainfall as occ\irred in the South Fork basin below. In addition,
the peak at Branscomb was slightly lower than the 1955 peak.
The stream gage near Miranda is a radio telemark stream geige
interrogated from Exireka. Aroxmd 2200 PST, December 21, the power to the
relay station atop nearby Pratt Mountain was lost and no signals could be
received from the Miranda gage. The last available reading was taken at
2135 which indicated a stage of 31.7 feet -- around 100,000 cfs. The river
had been holding steady near this stage for three hours — probably as the
result of a short period of light rainfall. The subsequent period
of intense rainfall beginning the late afternoon of December 21 and con-
tinuing through the following morning, generated the -peak, of 200,000 cfs at
about 1800 PST, December 22 — 27,000 cfs above the 1955 peak.
At Scotia, the Eel River reportedly peaked at around 750,000 cfs
(70 feet) on December 23 at 0200 PST, over 200,000 cfs and 8 feet above the
previous maximum of 1955 • The last reported stage received from this stream
gage before it malfunctioned was 6I.9 feet (the I955 peak stage) at 1200,
December 22.
At Bridgeville, on the Van Duzen River, a peak of i^9,800 cfs
(22.6 feet) was reported. In 1955 7 the Van Duzen River crested at ^3,500
cfs (21.3 feet). Residents living 20 miles downstream at the confluence of
the Van Duzen and Eel Rivers reported that the peak from the Van Duzen
occurred simultaneously with that from the Eel River.
At Fembridge, a wire-weight gage was used to determine the Eel
River's stage during the flood. The peak at the bridge was estimated to be
■27-
29.5 feet occurring arovind 0400 PST, December 23. The previous majctmum
stage in 1955 was 27.7 feet. The discharge could have exceeded 800,000 cfs.
Representative December storm rainfall totals recorded at various
points in the Eel River Basin are tabulated below.
TABLE 12
REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
EEL RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Rainfall Period
Rainfall Total
Gage
(inclusive)
(inches)
Standish-Hickey S.P.
19-26
28.62
Alderpoint
19-25
17.52
Garberville
20-26
21.75
Dos Rios
19-24
23.32
Consistent time periods are not available at this time. The high
winds (over 50 miles per hour) occurring throughout the North Coast un-
doubtedly affected the above rainfall totals.
From the Eel River Basin above Dos Rios, the runoff — though
record breaking -- does not appear to have been capable of contributing
markedly to the downstream peaks. In the Middle and North Forks of the
Eel River, reports indicate that staggering runoff amounts occurred.
Apparently heavy, but unreported, precipitation fell in these two subbasins.
The record runoff thro\aghout the South Fork basin was most
certainly generated by heavier rainfall than that reported. The lack of
rainfall recording charts in the basin, coupled with high winds persisting
through December 21 and 22, prohibits any accurate analysis at this time.
-28-
Undoubtedly though, the character of the rainfall eind resulting runoff was
similar (but on a larger scale) to that propagated in the Redwood Creek
Basin.
As the South Fork Eel River near Miranda reportedly crested two
hours before the Eel River at Alderpoint, the peak contributions from these
basins appeared separately at Scotia. However, the magnitude of the flows
and near coincidence of peaks effectively combined to generate the record
flows past Scotia and Fembridge.
Russian River Basin
Although rainfall amounts in the Russian River Basin were less
than in other North Coast basins, high river stages occurred along the
entire length of the Russian River. One exception to this general rainfall
pattern apparently occurred above Coyote Dam where extremely heavy precip-
itation totals were recorded.
As a consequence, the peak inflow into Lake Mendocino (Coyote Dam)
was 21,000 cfs as the river rose 5.20 feet above the 1955 recorded stage of
15.06. This flood control reservoir effectively contained the excessive
flows from the East Fork Russian River until the Russian River began
receding in the downstream reaches. Storage increased from 70,800 acre-feet
(0800 PST, December I9) to a maximum of 129,250 acre-feet (17OO PST,
December 2^) .
On the Russian River near Hopland, a reported peak flow of kl,200
cfs (26.06 feet) occurred around I9OO PST, December 22. Further downstream
at Healdsbirrg, a peak of 67,100 cfs (26.62 feet) occurred at Oi^30 PST,
December 23, and at Guerneville 90,000 cfs (^9.6 feet) around I8OO,
December 23.
TABLE 13
SELECTED PEAK RUNOFF EVENTS
RUSSIAN RIVER
Stream
Gaging
Station
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
Provisional
Peak Flow
(cfs)
Peak
Discharge
Per Sq. Mi.
Dec. 20-26, Runoff Volume
SFD
Acre-
Feet
Inches
Per
Sq. Mi.
East Fork
Russian River
nr. Calpella
Russian River
nr. Hopland
Russian River
near
Healdsburg
Russian River
near
Guemeville
93
362
791
1,3^^2
21,000
i+1,200
67,100
90,000
226
llif
85
67
33,000
101,000
i9i+,ooo
318,000
65,000
200,000
385,000
630,000
13.1
10.1^
9.1
9
Uniformly heavy rainfall (of about 11 inches for the storm period)
was recorded in the basin below Coyote Dam, whereas extremely heavy but un-
recorded rainfall occurred above Coyote Dam as indicated by Willits -Howard
FRS. Table ih represents rainfall totals recorded at selected rain gages
in and around the Russian River Basin.
.30-
TABLE 111
REPRESENTATIVE RAINFALL TOTAIS FOR THE DECEMBER STORM
RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN
Precipitation
Station
Precipitation (Inches
)
Dec. 21-23
Dec. 19- 2U
Total Dec.
Willits Howard
19.00
22.88
31.09
Ukiah
9.68
11.80
16.52
Hopland
9.57
11.76
16.20
Healdsbxurg
9.59
11.9^
15.55
Guemeville
7.57
10.62
1^.55
Runoff Volvnne - North Coast
The runoff volume from the heavy precipitation over the
North Coast was the greatest of record. In 1955, most rivers experienced
two major rises -- the second being the highest and responsible for the
resulting devastation. In 196^, however, only minor rises preceded the
record peaks of December 22 and 23. The subsequent runoff volximes therefore
are not completely comparable. On a few Worth Coast streams the volume
produced by the 1955 runoff with its two consecutive peaks exceeded the
volume of the higher single-peaked runoff in 1964. The 1955 and 1964
runoff voltimes are compared in the following tabulation.
■31-
TABLE 15
ESTIMATED STORM RUNOFF VOLUMES FOR THE DECEMBER
FLOODS OF 1955 AND 196^^
Drainage
Basin
Drainage
Area
(Sq. Mi.)
December 1964
December 1955 1
Period
(inclusive)
RTinof f Volume
Period
(inclusive)
Runoff Volume |
Inches
Ac re -Feet
Inches
Acre-Feet
Smith
River
613
20-26
22
700,000
18-23
18.2
600,000
Klamath
River
6,180*
20-26
9
3,020,000
20-26
8.3
2,730,000
Redwood
Creek
278
20-26
23
3^,000
I8-2I1
13.8
200,000
Mad River
kdk
20-26
16
i^20,000
18-24
14.6
380,000
Van Duzen
River
320
20-26
19
320,000
18-24
15
260,000
Eel River
3,113
20-26
22
3,720,000
20-26
14.8
2,450,000
Mattole
River
2^0
20-26
22
280,000
18-24
27.4
350,000
Russian
River
1,3^
20-26
9
630,000
19-25
11.6
830,000
Other
Coastal
Streams
Total
1,500
20-26
12
960,000
18-24
13
1,040,000
10,390,000
8,860,000
•*The basin above the upstream community of Klamath River (near the confluence
of the Shasta and Klamath Rivers) has not been included.
For the Eel River the 1964 rvinoff voliime was 49 percent more than
that for 1955. The Smith and Klamath Rivers had respectively 21 percent and
8 percent greater total rxmoff. For the North Coast as a whole, the volume
of water which passed into the Pacific Ocean from December 20-26 has been
estimated to be around 10.4 million acre-feet.
The runoff volimes calculated above will disagree vith earlier
published figures because of information received Just prior to publication
of this report.
Central Valley Area
As the storm pushed further inland, heavy rainfall created major
rises in many streams draining from the leeward or eastern side of the
Coast Rajige and in most streams flowing to the Central Valley from the
Sierra Nevada north of Stockton. Hydrographs of selected streams and reser-
voir operations are illustrated on Plates 15-24. Gage heights for selected
streams in the Central Valley are tabulated on Plates 25-27.
From the drainage area above Shasta Dam, inflow increased to a
peak of 187,100 cfs, which may be compared to the 201,000 cfs flood crest
that occurred in December 1955- Shasta Reservoir again controlled the
flood water and the storage was increased nearly 800,000 acre-feet. The
regulated releases from Keswick Dam reached 50,000 cfs.
By mld-aftemoon of December 22, the rising stages created by the
heavy rainfall became flood crests of record levels for many streams flowing
from the Coast Range. Cottonwood Creek near Cottonwood surpassed the previ-
ous high stage of 15.4 feet and 52,300 cfs which was recorded in 19^1 . The
new maximum stage is I9.6 feet and 56,000 cfs. Thomes Creek at Paskenta
also experienced a new maximiim stage, 15.3 feet and 33^000 cfs, which
exceeded the December 1955 stage of 13*9 feet and 23,500 cfs. Ord Ferry on
the Sacramento River crested at 173,000 cfs with a stage of II9.O feet.
Streams flowing from the northern Sierra Nevada began to rise as
the rainfall intensified over the Feather, Yuba, and Americeua River Basins
■33-
during the early evening hours of December 22. The Feather River crested
above Oroville Dam, which is presently \inder construction, at a peak flow
of approximately 250,000 cfs. Near midnight, this peak was reduced by the
partially completed dam to a peak outflow from the two diversion tunnels of
about 157,000 cfs. The dam is being built over the old stream gaging
station. Feather River near Oroville, where previous high flows were
ejcperienced in 1937 (l85,000 cfs), 19^ (152,000 cfs), 1955 (203,000 cfs),
and 1963 (191,000 cfs). The previous historic maximum flow of 230,000 cfs
was recorded in 1907 at a point five miles below the dam.
The Yuba River at Englebright Dam also established a record when
it reached a stage of 5^6.0 feet and a peak flow of 166,000 cfs. This is
the second new maximum since the near- legendary flood of 1955 established
a record stage of 5H.7 feet with a flow of 1^*8,000 cfs. In February I963
a peak flow of 150,000 cfs was recorded at a stage of ^kk.& feet.
These record flows contributed to the anxiety of Yuba City resi-
dents where channel clearing during recent years and a delayed Feather peak
kept the flood crest stage at 76. U2 feet. A stage of 82.^*^2 feet was
reached at the time of the disastrous levee failures in December 1955*
A few smaller streams in the Sacramento Valley also experienced
new maximum flood stages. Butte Creek near Chico reached a stage of lU.l
feet with a flow of 21,300 cfs.
Rainfall in the American River basin created high stages on most
tributaries above Folsom Reservoir. Hell Hole Dam, a small sloping-core
rockfill structure being built on the Middle Fork, failed Tjnder the stress
of the flood water. This partially-completed dam retained approximately
30,000 acre-feet before failure occurred. This volume of water added to
■ Sh-
the peak inflow to Folsom Reservoir which reached 280,000 cfs. Previous
maximum inflows occurred in December 1955 (218,000 cfs) and February 1963
(2^40,200 cfs).
Storage in Folsom Reservoir increased 322,000 acre-feet and
controlled releases were increased to a peak rate of 115,000 cfs. These
releases were reflected in high stages at the "H" Street Bridge in
Sacramento which attained a crest at 41.89 feet.
The flow from the American River, together with approximately
75,000 cfs at Verona on the Sacramento River, required the opening of all
k& gates at the Sacramento Weir. Total flow past Sacramento including both
the Sacramento River and the Yolo Bypass was estimated to be 4^4^5,000 cfs.
All weirs of the Sacramento River Flood Control Project experienced
periods of overflow, and this data is stumnarized in the following table.
TABLE 16
SACRAMENTO RIVER FLOOD COHTROL PROJECT
WEIR OVERFLOW DATA
Weir
Beginning of Overflow
Period of
Overflow
(hours)
Peak -cage
and Distiharge
Date
Time
Moulton
12/22/6^1
1/V65
1930
1545
163
82.38
82.14
25,600
23,600
Colusa
12/22/64
1520
520
68.06
69,500
Tisdale
12/22/64
1900
*
50.10
29,000
Fremont
(West End)
12/22/64
2000
*
39.5
245,000
Sacramento
12/23/64
0310**
222***
32.35
101,500
♦Continued overflow January I9, I965.
**First group of five gates opened; all gates open by I503 on 12/23/64.
***Closing operations began O8OO on 12/30/64 and all gates were replaced
by 0900 on 1/1/65.
-35-
South of the American River Basin rainfall amounts were generally
less than the 20- to to- Inch totals which fell farther north. Stream levels
reflected the lesser rainfall; however, several streams at the northern end
of the San Joaquin Valley experienced notable peak flows. The Cosumnes
River at Michigan Bar, for example, reached a crest of 13. 8 feet and a flow
of 37,500 cfs which was not far below the December 1955 stage of lU.59 feet
and flow of i+2,000 cfs.
Stream gaging stations on the San Joaquin River north of Newman
recorded rises which were generally due to releases made from Sierra reser-
voirs on the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. However, early in January when
additional rainfall occurred and after flood-retention ability of most of
these reservoirs had been exhausted, the releases were increased. Flow from
Exchequer Reservoir on the Merced River, Melones and Tulloch Reservoirs on
the Stanislaus, Don Pedro on the Tuolumne, in addition to local runoff from
the Merced County Stream Group (Bums, Bear, Owens, and Mariposa Creeks),
caused a crest stage of 28.2 feet and 21,200 cfs at Vemalis on January 12.
■ 36-
DECEMBER 2l+, 1961+
AERIAL VIEW OF B I DWELL BAR ABOVE DEBR I S -CHOKED
CONFLUENCE OF MIDDLE AND NORTH FORKS OF FEATHER
RIVER. BACKWATER CREATED BY OROVILLE DAM
EMBANKMENT EXTENDED UPSTREAM TO MIDDLE FORK
BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
(DWR Photo)
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DECEMBER 2k, i96.ll
AERIAL VIEW OF BORROW AREA ALONG FEATHER RIVER BELOW OROVILLE
AND OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT. HISTORIC DREDGER TAILINGS AT
RIGHT CENTER OF PICTURE PARTIALLY INUNDATED BY FLOOD WATERS.
(DWR Photc:
•ECEMBER 23, T96k
AERIAL VIEW OF FEATHER RIVER AT OROVILLE LOOKING DOWNSTREAM.
HIGHWAY 1+OA AT LEFT BANK; CONTRACTOR'S HAUL RAILROAD IN
CENTER. NOTE PARTIALLY INUNDATED TRACKS IN BACKGROUND.
(DWR Photo)
DECEMBER 25, ^^6k
BRIDGE AND FLOODED ORCHARDS — FEATHER RIVER NEAR BORROW AREA.
(DWR Phot )
^ if
A
CEMBER 2H, 196H
AERIAL VIEW OF MARYSVILLE LOOKING SOUTHWEST.
(DWR Photo)
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DECEMBER 23, I96U AERIAL VIEW OF TOWER BRIDGE AT SACRAMENTO RIVER AT SACRAMENTO. (DWR Photo)
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ECEMBER 28, 1964
EMERGENCY REPAIRS BEING MADE TO LEFT BANK OF
AMERICAN RIVER BELOW "H" STREET BRIDGE.
SACRAMENTO STATE COLLEGE IN BACKGROUND.
(DWR Photo)
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-wi\ I
FLOOD AREAS MP FLOOD DAMAGE
North Coast Area
The first day of winter, December 21, 196^, rather appropriately
arrived with heavy rains in Northern California. However, as discussed on
preceding pages the rain became an extended downpour with subsequent dis-
astrous flooding.
On many swollen streams in the North Coast, walls of water tore
down highway and railroad bridges, overturned autos, smashed houses and farm
buildings, and swept away entire villages. The North Coast, where flood
control works are essentially nonexistent, was hardest hit, but this intense
Christmas week storm caused extensive flooding of urban and suburban areas
throughout Northern California. Thirty- four counties received damage, smd
Governor Brown proclaimed all of these counties as disaster areas. Six of
these counties, located in the northwest area, suffered flood damage exceed-
ing the combined deimage to all other counties. These six coxmties, Del
Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Sonoma, where there is
almost no flood protection, suffered complete havoc. The few existing flood
control projects on the Mad, Eel and Russian Rivers saved millions of
dollars, and the proposed projects for the Eel River delta would have saved
millions more.
Various categories of flood damages to the six North Coast counties
noted above are discussed in the following pages and summarized in tables IJ ,
18, 19/ 20, and 21. It should be noted that estimates relative to damage and
costs are necessarily preliminary following a disaster -- and will probably
change significantly when final reports are in. The majority of the damage
-37-
figures for the North Coast were obtained from the California Disaster Office
and the Red Cross.
TABLE 17
FLOOD DAMAGE ESTIMATE
(In Dollars)
Cotmty
Protective
Health &
Sanitation
Dikes,
Levees &
Drainage
Public
Buildings
Public
Utilities
Del Norte
$ 100,000
0
$ 1^3,000
$ 140,000
Siskiyou
300,000
$1,250,000
150,000
200,000
Humboldt
2,000,000
1,500,000
300,000
10,000
Trinity
150,000
90,000
550,000
Mendocino
50,000
200,000
150,000
25,000
Sonoma
500,000
20,000
100,000
100,000
It is difficult to bring the magnitude of this flood into focus,
but some comparisons to the 1955 flood can be made. District I of the State
Division of Highways encompasses the counties of Del Norte, Humboldt,
Mendocino, and the westerly sections of Siskiyou and Trinity. In the 1955
flood. District I lost one bridge — the one in Hoopa on the Trinity River.
As an aftermath of the 1964 flood. District I records sixteen State highway
bridges destroyed. The Humboldt County Road Department listed ten county
bridges completely washed out or damaged beyond salvage. Virtually the whole
region from Scotia to Crescent City was isolated as the rampaging Eel, Mad,
and Klamath Rivers and Redwood Creek made U. S. Route 101 impassable.
It has been estimated the State Division of Highways has at least
a 2-year task to restore the highways and bridges to their pre-flood
condition.
-38-
Again, the magnitude of this flood overwhelms that of the 1955
flood when listing the number of cities and communities which have been
devastated.
Communities Destroyed
Klamath
Orleans
Jfyers Flat
Weott
South Fork
Shively
Pepperwood
Stafford
Ti-Bar
Communities Partially Destroyed
Metropolitan
Rio Dell
Scotia
Klamath and Orleans in the north, and Weott and Jfyers Flat in the
south, are major centers of population, aside fiom the Eureka-Arcata,
Forttma complex. The total extent of damages to many small hamlets has not
yet been determined. The Crescent City area, hard hit by the flood, prompted
Congressman Don Clausen (while accompajiying Governor Brown on his inspection
trip) to remark "this is becoming the disaster district of the nation". It
was Crescent City that suffered such havoc when struck by the Alaskan earth-
quake tidal wave Easter weekend, 196^.
-39-
At Fembridge, the focal point of the Eel River stage measurements,
the peak reached an estimated 29-5 feet, compared to the 1955 peaJc of 27.7
feet. Flood stage is 17.0 feet. Some l+,000 persons abandoned their homes
in at least ten towns in the redwood coiintry. At Orlck, 800 residents also
fled their homes when the flashy Redwood Creek reached a height of 23.27
feet, with a flood stage of 19 feet.
In the co-unties of Del Norte, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Trinity,
Mendocino, and Sonoma at least 1,025 homes were destroyed and 3>759 more
damaged. Three hundred seventy-four small businesses were either destroyed
or damaged, and over 800 farm buildings destroyed or damaged.
TABLE 18
ESTIMATE OF HOMES, FARM DWELLINGS AND TRAILER HOMES
DESTROYED OR DAMAGED
(In Dollars)
County
Amount
Del Norte
$ 7,232,000
Siskiyou
2,770,000
Humboldt
13,850,000
Trinity
980,000
Mendicino
500,000
Sonoma
5,875,000
The timber industry is one of the primary supporters of the econo-
mies of the northwest counties, ajid the flood damage was a devastating blow to
the industry. Millions of board feet of lumber were lost when logs were swept
from log decks and floated downstream. An estimated 100 million board feet
-IJO-
of lumber is in the Crescent City harbor and on the beach. Forest access
roads, highways, and railroeuis were impassable. In some areas 80 percent
of the county road system sustained major damage. Because of the lack of
transportation for logs and cut lumber, 4,000 workers are without jobs, and
an additional 8,000 workers will be affected as more than half the lumber
mills face closure. Weekly payroll loss could rise to $675>000.
Also hard hit was the dairy and livestock industry. Five thousand
head of livestock were lost, thirty-five hundred of which were cows and
calves. Pasture land was awash with mud and debris. Providing feed for
the surviving cattle was a major problem, and sixty tons of hay and grain
were flown to the area for the stai^ring cattle.
TABLE 19
ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE
(In Dollars)
County
Debris
Clearemce
Hon-Federal
Aided
County Roads
Federal
Aided
County Roads
Del Norte
Siskiyou
Humboldt
Trinity
Mendocino
Sonoma
$ k6^,000
250,000
4,000,000
150,000
300,000
100,000
$1,050,000
1,855,000
6,500,000
2,555,000
2,550,000
561,000
$1,625,000
1,598,000
2,000,000
120,000
5,200,000
5,000
Preliminary flood damage estimates were compiled by the California
Disaster Office from information collected by survey teams of State, Federal,
and local public agencies, and Red Cross workers. Months of work by survey
teams in the field and in the office will be necessary before the complete
picture unfolds.
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-42-
As the grim task of cleaning up the flood- stricken areas started,
the death toll began to rise. Rescue workers used helicopters to probe the
slowly receding rivers for victims and survivors. Hundreds of persons had
been stranded for days without food or shelter in the flood isolated valleys
and foothills of the Eel River Canyon. Fog, rain, snow, and winds frustrated
rescue efforts for areas which could be reached only by air and prolonged the
misery of flood damage.
As rescue operations swung into full scale, another storm whipped
into Northern California with rains, snow, and hurricane gusts of wind.
Rising rivers again forced an estimated 1,300 persons to flee for the
second time from the Eel, Mad, Klamath, and Russian River Valleys, and
evacuation centers were reopened. River crests from this second storm were
far below the earlier flood stages, and additional flooding from the second
storm was minor and could do very little material damage beyond the prior
flood.
Finally, on January 6, residents of the northwest area were able
to relax a moment to look back — and ahead — as the rivers began to fall
and the weather forecast for only scattered showers diminished the threat
of renewed floods.
.43-
TABLE 21
RED CROSS RECORDS - JANUARY k, I965
County
Deaths
Injured
Hospitalized
Families
Suffering Loss
Del Norte
1
264
15
l,3i^2
Siskiyou
1
101
6
800
Humboldt
19
1,250
30
3,000
Trinity
2
3
3
400
Mendocino
1
hk6
Sonoma
35
1
2,214
The Christmas week flood took its toll of human lives, livestock,
houses, farms and even total villages — and it took something else too:
water.
A preliminary estimate showed 10.4 million acre-feet of water ran
off into the sea from California's North Coast. This estimate includes
everything from the Russian River north, including the Eel, Mad, Van Duzen
and Klamath Rivers.
This wasted water is more than the total of the yearly amoxrnt
the State Water Project will deliver in 1990, plus the State's annual share
from the Colorado River.
Central Valley Area
Flooded Areas
In the Central Valley Area the total area flooded amounted to about
375,000 acres. A breakdown of the estimated total of areas flooded, by major
-44-
drainage basins, are the Sacramento Basin - 325,000 acres, and the San Joaquin
Basin - 50,000 acres. Major flooded areas included 20,000 acres on Thomes
Creek, Cottonwood Creek and other Sacramento River tributaries in the vicinity
of Red Bluff; 50,000 acres along Sacramento River, mainly from Red Bluff to
Colusa; 75,000 acres in bypasses and floodways in the Sacramento Basin;
100,000 acres in Butte Basin; 25,000 acres on Feather River and tributaries;
20,000 acres along the Cosumnes River and in the Mokelumne-Cosumnes Delta
area; and 18,000 acres on the Stanislaus River.
It should be noted that estimates relative to damage and cost are
necessarily preliminary following a disaster and will probably change signif-
icantly when final reports are in. The majority of the damage figures listed
here for the Central Valley Area were obtained from the U. S. Corps of
Engineers.
There are no known cases where people died in the Central Valley as
a direct result of flooding; however, there are a number of instances where
deaths occurred as an indirect result of the flood. These instances included
such situations as people venturing out in a boat during high water and drown-
ing as a result of the high flood flows.
Flood Damages
Preliminary estimates have been made of the flood damages for the
December 196^+ - January I965 floods. These estimates should be considered
as being only approximate. More final estimates will be made after detailed
field examination. The estimates of flood damages contained here represent
damages from stream overflow and stream bank and levee erosion. Losses from
general storm damage, such as slides and falling trees, as well as from rain
-ii5-
damage or ponded surface water, have not been included. Total flood damage
in the Central Valley Area is now estimated at about $29,000,000.
Sacramento Basin
The combined damages in the Sacramento Basin total about
$25,000,000. About $7,000,000 of these damages occurred above the foothill
line and represent loss of highway bridges, roads, cabins, a dam under
construction, and other improvements. The $18,000,000 damages remaining
represents losses on the valley floor area. Most of this damage was to
agricultural properties and loss of livestock; however, the figure includes
a substantial amount for flood fighting and levee repair at many locations
where urban- suburban protection was involved.
In the Sacramento River "Major and Minor Tributaries Project" the
only levee breaks were on Deer Creek tributary to the Sacramento River near
Vina. Here there were two levee breaks, one on the right bank and the other
on the left bank situated just upstream from Keefer Road.
Within the "Sacramento River Flood Control Project" the major
problems were from boils and banks eroding from current action, and trees
toppling and taking large sections of the berm with the root system, thus
undermining the waterward slope of the levee system. In these cases rock
riprap was dumped into the damaged reach. The other problem was erosion to
levees caused by wave wash action. In these instances canvas panels or wood
wave wash panels were placed to retard the erosion of the levee section.
There were numerous trouble spots on the Sacramento River and four on the
Feather River. On the Feather River, one problem area occurred on the right
bank one mile downstream from Gridley Bridge, two on the right bank just
-h6-
below Shanghai Bend, and the other on the left bank downstream from
Nicolaus. On the American River, a trouble spot developed on the left
bank just downstream from the "H" Street Bridge on the City of Sacramento
side. Flood fighting was also carried out on the levees of Cache Creek, the
Sutter and Yolo Bypasses and several islands in the Delta region -- mainly
Twitchell, Venice and Webb Tract.
The flood fight utilized local agency and Department of Water
Resources' forces and approximately 1200 inmates from conservation camps
of the Department of Corrections. These inmate crews were in the immediate
charge of about 250 crew chief personnel of the Division of Forestry who
were in turn advised by Department of Water Resources' engineers. These
forces represented about 20 conservation camps throiighout the state. The
Division of Forestry also supplied approximately 20 pieces of heavy equip-
ment such as dump trucks and bxilldozers.
The only islands in the Delta that were inundated were the ones
that are designed to go under diiring times of high water. They were
Prospect, Liberty, Little Holland Tract, and McComiack and Williamson Tracts
northeast of Walnut Grove.
San Joaquin Basin
Total damage in the San Joaquin Basin was near $4,000,000. Practi-
cally all of this damage was below the foothill line and occurred to highly
developed agricultural crop land. Major flooding occurred on the Stanislaus
and Cosumnes Rivers, and damages of $2,000,000 and $1,500,000, respectively,
resulted. About $500,000 total damage occurred on the Merced, San Joaquin,
Chowchilla and Fresno Rivers, and on Merced County streams.
-hi-
In the "San Joaquin River Flood Control Project" there were nine
breaks within a short reach of the left bank levee of the Stanislaus River
in Reclamation District 2031 — which is just about at its confluence with
the San Joaquin River. The district's levee along the San Joaquin River was
opened to discharge the trapped flood water so that the land that was in-
undated would drain. In the same general area on the right bank of the
Stanislaus River, in Reclamation District 2064, there were six trouble spots
within a two-mile reach caused by high flood flows.
Another levee break occurred in the State's "Lower San Joaquin
River Flood Control Project". The Eastside Bypass right bank levee was
breached by flood water ponding on the landward side of the levee system.
This breach occurred very near its junction with the San Joaquin River.
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APPENDIX A
TABLE A-1
PEAK FLOWS AND STAGES
(Preliminary Data, Subject to Revision)
Stream and Station
Drainage
Area in
Sq. Ml.
Period
of
Record
Source
of
Record
(a)
Previous Maximum
of Record
December 1964 - January 1965
Date
Stage
in ft.
Dlsohg.
m cfs
Date
Time
Stage
In ft.
Dlschg.
In cfs
North Coastal Area
Shiith River near
Crescent City
613
1931- USGS 12/22/55 tl.20 165,000 12/22/6t - 14.5*^ |1 92, 000**1
Shasta River
near Yreka
796 ♦1933 USGS 12/22/55 9.43 6,090 12/22/64 2200 112 ."B**!
Scott River near
Fort Jones
662 1941- USGS 12/22/55 21.40 38,500 No record - station destroyed
Klamath River near
Seiad Valley
6,980 1912-25 USGS 12/22/55 29.2^ 122,000'' No record - station destroyed
1951-
South Fork Salmon
River near Forks
of Salmon
252
1953- USGS 12/22/55 18.86 24,200 12/22/64 - 21.73 I 31,000**1
Klamath River
at Somesbar
8,480 1927- USGS 12/22/55 59.4 202,000° 12/22/64 - 75.4 |300,000**|
Trinity River
near Burnt Ranch
1,438 1931-40 USGS 12/22/55 '*3 .2 172,000 12/22/64 2400 29.84 79,000
1956-
South Fork Trinity
River at Forest
Glen
208
1959- USGS 12/22/55 25.26 42,400 12/22/64 16OO 29.0
62,000**1
South Fork Trinity
River near Hyampom
342 1956- USGS 12/22/55 22.2"'^ 39,400 12/22/64 1530 |31-0**I^
Hayfork Creek
near Hayfork
87.2 1956- USGS 2/8/60 11.67 4,210 12/22/64 1100 14.45 I 7,000**|
Hayfork Creek
near Hyampom
379
1953- USGS 12/22/55 18.00 25,300 12/22/64 - 19.13 | 29.000**1
South Fork Trinity
River near Salyer
899 1911-13 USGS 12/22/55 39.4^ 65,100 12/22/64 2400 47.6 | 95,000**|
1950-
Wlllow Creek at
Willow Creek
Trinity River
near Hoopa
Klamath River
near Klamath
43.3 1959- USGS 12/2/62 10.02
2,848 •1911- USGS 12/22/55 36.90
12,100 *1910- USGS 12/22/55 49.?'
5,190 No record - channel destroyed
190,000 12/22/64 2100 42.3*" |260,000**|
425,000° 12/23/64 0200 55.3^ |650,000**|
Redwood Creek
at Orlck
278 1911-13 USGS 1/18/53 23.95^
1953- 12/22/55 23.95
50,000 12/22/64 2200 23.27 50,000
50,000
Mad River near
Forest Glen
143
1953- USGS 12/22/55 24.5^ 39,200 12/22/64 1700 I6.86 20,100
A-1
TABLE A-1 (Continued)
Stream and Station
Drainage
Area In
Sq. Ml.
Period
of
Record
Source
of
Record
(a)
Previous Maximum
of Record
December 1964 - January 1955
Date
Stage
in ft.
Dischg.
In cfs
Date
Time
Stage
In ft.
Dischg.
in cfs
North Coastal Area (Continued)
Mad River near
Areata
Eel River below
Scott Dam near
Potter Valley
Eel River at Van
Arsdale Dam near
Potter Valley
Eel River above
Dos Rios
Black Butte River
near Covelo
Middle Fork Eel
River below Black
Butte River near
Van Duzen River
near Brldgeville
Eel River at
Fembridge
Mattole River
near Petrolia
Russian River
near Ukiah
East Fork
Russian Fliver
near Calpella
Russian River
near Hopland
484
290
349
705
162
Covelo
367
Eel River below
Dos Rios
1,484
North Fork Eel
River near Mina
250
Eel River at
Alderpolnt
2,079
South Fork Eel
River near
Brans comb
43
South Fork Eel
River near
Miranda
537
Eel River at
Scotia
3,113
216
240
93.0
362
1910-13 USGS 12/22/55 27.30'
1950-
fi 77,800 12/23/64 0200 23.40*' 71,000''
1922- USGS 12/11/37 22.9^ 41,100*^ 12/22/64 - 24.2*" | 58,000**1
1909- USGS 12/22/55 31.4*" 48,600 12/22/64 I900 - | 62,000**1
1950- USGS 12/22/55 45.4*" 123,000° 12/22/64 - 54.0*' |175, 000**1
•1951- USGS 12/21/55 35.8'''*' 25,000 12/22/64 - 33.0*" | 50,000**1
1951- USGS 12/21/55 25.0'
,100 12/22/64 2100 33.1 1165,000**1
1911-13 USGS 12/22/55 49.86 283,000° 12/22/64 I8OO 63.1 |460,000«*|
1951-
1953- USGS 12/22/55 24.00 58,400 No record - station destroyed
1955- USGS 12/22/55 72.5*' 376,000° 12/22/64 2000"" 90.5^ |600,000«*|
1946- USGS 12/22/55 16.20 20,100 12/22/64 - 16.14 19,900
1939. USGS 12/22/55 42.7*' 173,000 12/22/64 iSOO"" 45.9*' |200,000*«|
»1910- USGS 12/22/55 61.90 541,000 12/23/64 0200 70.0 f7 50,000**1
1950- USGS 12/22/55 21.3^ 43,500 12/22/64 - 22.6 | 49,800**|
USWB 12/22/55 27.7
12/23/64 0400 29.5 |800, 000**1
*1911- USGS 12/22/55 29.60 90,400 12/22/64 1145 28.20 >80,000
99.6 •igil- USGS 12/21/55 21.0 18,900 12/22/64 1100 19.45 18,000
1941- USGS 12/21/55 15.06 13,300 12/22/64 - 20.26 | 21,000*«|
1939. USGS 12/22/55 27.00 45,000° 12/22/64 I8OO 26.06 41,200°
TABLE A-1 (Continued)
Stream and Station
Drainage
Area in
Sq. Hi.
Period
of
Record
Source
of
Record
(a)
Previous Maximum
of Record
December 1964 - January I965
Date
Stage
in ft.
Dischg.
in cfs
Date
Time
Stage
in ft.
Dischg.
in cfs
North Coastal Area (Continued)
Russian River
near Cloverdale
Russian River
near Healdsburg
502
793
Russian River
near Guemevllle 1,3'*0
1951- USOS 12/22/55 30.9
1939- USOS 2/28/40 30.0
•1939- USGS 12/23/55 t9.7^
53,000"- 12/23/64 - 31.6 I S't, 000**1
67,000 12/23/64 0430 26.62 I 67,100**1'
90,100° 12/23/64 1800 49.6^ 90,000"=
Central Valley Area
Cow Creek near
Millville
425
1949- USGS 12/27/51 21.55 45,200 12/22/64 1130 18.4
30,300
Cottonwood Creek
near Cottonwood
922
1940- USGS 3/l/'*l 15.'*
52,300 12/22/64 1400 19.6
56,000*
Battle Creek below
Coleman Pish
Hatchery near
Cottonwood
358
1961- USGS 12/11/37 15.8*''^ 35,000 12/22/64 1200 12.5
8,780
Paynes Creek
near Red Bluff
92.7 19'*9- USOS 12/1/61 11.33 10,600 12/22/64 1200 8.7
4,950
Sacramento River
at Red Bluff
DWR 2/28/40 32.2
12/22/64 2100 27.7 170,000°
Mill Creek near
Los Molinos
131
»1909- USGS 12/11/37 23.4'^ 23,000 12/22/64 1200 15.3 13,200
Thomes Creek at
Paskenta
194 1920- USGS 12/21/55 13.89 23,500 12/22/64 1300 15.3 | 33,000**|
DWR
Deer Creek
near Vina
208 "igii- USGS 12/10/37 19.2^
DWR
23,800 12/22/64 1200 14.7 l8,800
Big Chico Creek
near Chico
72.5 1930- USGS 12/10/37 16.6
3,260 12/21/64 2300 l4.6 I 8 , 400**1
Sacramento River
at Ord Perry
Sacramento River
at Colusa
»1921- DWR 2/28/40 121.7
ig**©- USGS 2/8/42 69.20
DWR
370,000° 12/23/64 1800- 119.0
2100
49,000° 1/7/65 0800- 67.0
1600
173,000''
42,800=
Butte Creek
near Chico
147 1930- USGS 12/22/55 13.35 18,700° 12/22/64 l400 14.1 | 21,300**|
North Fork Peat her
River at Pulga
(formerly Big Bar)
1,953 •1910- USGS 12/23/55 35.60 72,400°'® 12/22/64 1300 35-2 71,800'
c,e
Middle Fork
Feather River
near Merrlmac
1,068 1951- USOS 2/1/63 21.65 65,400 No record - station destroyed
A-3
TABLE A-1 (Continued)
Stream and Station
Drainage
Area in
Sq. Ml.
Period
of
Record
Source
of
Record
(a)
Previous Maximum
of Record
December 1964 - January 1965
Date
Stage
in ft.
Dlschg.
In cfs
Date
Time
Stage
In ft.
uisohg.
in cfs
Central Valley Area (Continued)
Feather River at
Oroville above
Pish Barrier Dam
3,632
1901- USGS 3/19/07 39.3
DWR
230,000° 12/23/64 1200 25.3 157,000°'''
Feather River
near Grldley
•1929- DWR 12/23/55 102.25
12/23/64 0800 100.4 153,000<='*'-
Yuba River at
Englebright Dam
1,104 1941- USGS 2/1/63 544.84 150,000°''^ 12/22/64 2200 546.0 |166,000««)
,c,<
Deer Creek near
Smartvllle
84.6
1935- USGS 10/13/62 13.77 11,600° 12/22/64 15OO 11. 85 8,260°
Feather River
at Yuba City
1944- DWR 12/24/55 82.42
12/23/64 1200 76.4
Feather River
at Nlcolaus
5,928
1943- USGS 12/23/55 51.60 357,000° 12/23/64 1500 51. 6 283,000°'''
DWR
Sacramento River
at Verona
1929- USGS 3/1/40 41.20
DWR
79,200° 12/25/64 060O 39.7 75,000'
,c,h
Middle Fork
American River
near Auburn
American River
at Sacramento
612 1911- USGS 2/1/63 43.1^
1,900S 1925- DWR 11/21/50 45.73
4",k
121,000 12/23/64 1340 |60.4«
176,000° 12/24/64 1100 41.89 115,000°
Sacramento River
at Sacramento
*1879- USGS 11/21/50 30.14°
DWR
104,000° 12/24/64- 1900- 29.4 99,600°
12/25/64 1400
Cache Creek at
Rumsey Bridge
1957- DWR 2/24/58 18.4
1/5/65 1800 16 . f.
37,800
Yolo Bypass
near Lisbon
1914- DWR 12/24/55 23.4 304,800 12/25/64 0700 25. 1 1.345,000**1
Sacramento River
near Rio Vista
Cosumnes River
at Michigan Bar
537
1906- USCE 12/25/55 10.2
1907- USGS 12/23/55 14.59
DWR
12/26/64 1000 9.5
12/27/64 HOO
42,000° 12/23/64 0800 13.8 37,500
Mokelumne River
near Thornton
(Benson's Perry)
Mormon Slough
at Bellota
1959- DWR 2/10/60 8.7
12/24/64 0900 |15.5**I
1948- DWR 4/2/58 20.65 15,400° 12/24/64 05OO 8.56 3,000'=
Stanislaus River
at Orange Blossom
Bridge
1940- DWR 11/21/50 30.05 52,000= 12/24/64 1700 26.4 39,800°
Stanislaus River
at Ripon
1940- USGS 12/24/55 63.25 62,500 12/25/64 060O 62.26 32,800°
DWR
A-4
TABLE A-1 (Continued)
Stream and Station
Drainage
Area in
Sq. Ml.
Period
of
Record
Source
of
Record
(a)
Previous Maximum
of Record
December ige^t - January 1965
Date
Stage
in ft.
Dlschg.
in cfs
Date
Time
Stage
in ft.
Dlschg.
in cfs
Central Valley Area (Continued)
Tuolumne River
at Modesto
*1878- USGS 12/9/50 69.19
DWR
57,000° 1/7/65 1700- 55.3 11,500°
2200
Merced River
near Stevlnson
1,274 1940- USGS 12/5/50 74.79
USSR
DWR
13,600° 1/8/65 1800 72.08 10,600°
Bear Creek at
McKee Road
USCE 12/- /55 23.0
9,500 1/7/65 0600 15.2 5,600
Chowchilla River
at Buchanan Dam
Site, near
Raymond
238
»1921- USGS 12/23/55 16.50^
DWR
30,000 12/23/64 1100 533.1
6,250
Fresno River
near Knowles
132
»1911- USGS 12/23/55 11.52 13,300 12/23/64 1100 5.5
2,900
San Joaquin
River at Fremont
Ford Bridge
8,090 193T- USGS 4/6/58 71.14°
USER
DWR
5,910° 1/10/65 0600 64.53 2,650-'
San Joaquin
River near
Nevmian
9,990
1912- USGS 3/7/38 65.81 33,000° 1/10/65 0700 62.67 11,500°
DWR
San Joaquin River
at Crows Landing
Bridge
1941- DWR 4/7/58 61.9"
1/10/65 2000 54.0 11,250
San Joaquin River
at Patterson
Bridge
San Joaquin River
at Grayson
1938- DWR 6/13/38 54.0^ - 1/11/65 0800 47.00 10,750°
1928- DWR 3/8/41 45.15 23,900 1/11/65 2345 39.23 8,500°
San Joaquin River
near Vemalis
San Joaquin River
at Mossdale Bridge
14,010
»1922- USGS 12/9/50 32.81 79,000 1/12/65 O5OO- 28.2 21,200°
2400
1920- DWR 12/10/50 24.4
1/12/65 1700 13-92
LEGEND
(a) USGS
USER
usim
USCE
DWR
PG&E
b
United States Geological Survey
United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States '.feather Bureau
United States Corps of Engineers
California State Department of Water Resources
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Site and datum then in use
Affected by storage and/or diversion
Includes flow through powerhouse
Includes flov; bypassing station
From flood marks
Estimated
Affected by partially completed Oroville Dam
Does not include flov/ that bypasses station
Peak of flood wave resulting from failure of Hell Hole Dam on the Rubicon River
Approximate time
Incomplete record
r-Iaximum of record
A-5
7
8 t
9
10
11
12
1 13
1 llv
91^.1
1,881.1
1,985.8
1,989.6
1,993.9
1,999.6
2,00lv.2
2,008.6
92.2
86.3
79.6
72.3
68.6
6IV.9
61.1
57.1
30U.0
3,280.7
3,238.1^
3,197.6
3,19^.0
3,l9i^.lv
3,200.9
3,203.2
2li|.3
; ki.k
1
213.3
210.9
207.8
20lv.U
203.7
203.2
202.5
30.9
23.9
23.6
22.2
21.3
21.2
21.9
bs.s
637.5
605.5
577.lv
571^.3
571^.3
576.2
577.8
686.1
1,681^.1
1,678.2
1,671.8
1,665.5
1,660.2
l,65lv.9
1,650.6
266.1
1
261.3
251^.7
252.0
251.2
255.7
258.lv
256.lv
108.3
109.6
110.8
111.9
113.3
llU.l
lllv.T
115.5
^65.9
266.2
266.8
267.1
267.1
267.3
267.5
267.5
167.8
183.7
182.0
176.7
168.9
160.7
151.9
llv3.7
56. U
56.1+
56.3
56.2
56.1
56.1
56.0
52.1
78.7
7i+.5
78.1+
78. u
78.lv
78.lv
78.lv
78.lv
lOU.O
99.9
97.3
96.3
95.7
95.3
95.0
91^.7
69.3
62.8
59.1
57.2
53.3
52.lv
51.3
51.1
li+5.5
159.0
162.8
161.8
160.8
159.9
159.8
160.6
79.9
81.0
81.1
81.1
80.9
80.7
80.6
79. 1^
199.7
203.5
203.9
203.5
199.0
197.5
195.1^
193. i^
231^.5
237.1
239.5
21+1.1+
2I16.7
2lv9.8
252.9
256.0
A ■
APPEMDIX A
TABLE A-2
RESERVOIR OPERATIC BS
DURING PERIOD DECMBER 1961* AMD JA^mABY 1965
( Pre lijai nary Data, Gubject to Revision)
Watershed
Reservoir
Crest
Elevation
feet
Capacity in
1000' s of
Ac re - Fe e t
20 1
21
22
23
2lt
25
26
27
28 1
29
30
Water in 3
1 31
torage. Thousands of Acre-Feet
1 1 J ? 1 1 1
4
5
6
7 1
A 1
Q
1 Tt '
T^
1 r;; 1
Trinity
Trinity
^,395
2,500.0
l,li89.0
1,1(91.7
1,535-7
1,687.1
1,773-7
1,827. ll
1,859.6
1,885.5
1,902.1.
1,916.2
1,925.6
1,933-4
1,939-3
1,943-8
-^ L
1,949-8
1,953-9
J 2 1
1,957-4
2
1,965-4
. , ,f 1
1,974.7
0 1
1,881.1
2 1
1,985.8
10
1,989-6
11
1,993.9
12
1,999.6
J_ 12
2,004.2
14
2,008.6
E, F. Russian
Mendocino
78U
132.5
1.5.2
75.8
91.8
121.0
128.7
126.0
120.1.
119-5
III..3
106.7
96.6
87.6
79-3
■('5-2
74.4
75-3
76.0
89-1
92.2
86.3
79.6
72-3
68.6
64.9
61.1
57.1
Sacramento
Shasta
i,ot8
It, 500.0
2,527.0
2,576. It
2,733-9
3,052.9
3, 201.. 7
3,276.6
3,305.0
3,319-5
3,310.1
3,286.2
3,278.3
3,262.4
3,254.7
3,257.1
3,261.4
3,253-3
3,244.9
3,285.0
3,304.0
3,280.7
3,238.4
3,197-6
3,194.0
3,194.4
3,200.9
3,203.2
Clear CreeX
WhlskeytowT)
1,210
2I4I.O
208.8
209.5
221.6
21.2.1.
21.5.2
21*3.9
21.1.9
2lt0.6
238.6
236.0
232.8
229.2
225-2
221.1
217.6
213-6
209.8
213.3
214.3
213.3
210.9
207,8
204.4
203.7
203.2
202-5
Stony Creek
Black Butte
515
16C.O
29.0
29.8
37.4
71.. 0
96.5
gii-g
79.5
55.5
31..6
22.5
25.1
23.7
22-9
21-5
20.2
21-3
22.9
42.1
41.4
30.9
23.9
23.6
22.2
21.3
21.2
21.9
American
Folsom
)i80
1,000.0
577.0
596.5
650.1
838.3
888.2
861.5
733.0
688.lt
673.4
642.9
643.0
636.4
629-4
623-9
621.1
625-7
632-9
612.3
633.8
637.5
605.5
577.4
574.3
574.3
576.2
57T.8
Putah Creek
Berryessa
1.56
1,600.0
1,355 0
1,358.1.
1.393-2
1,1.78.9
l,5n.2
1,519-8
1,523.1.
1,5311. It
1,51.1.. 3
1,551.3
1,558.2
1,563.9
1,567.7
1,571-2
1,577.9
1,596-5
1,619.7
1,678.6
1,686.1
1,684.1
1,678.2
1,671.8
1,665.5
1,660.2
1,654.9
1,650.6
Merced
Lake McClure
710
289.0
n.e
160
17.6
38.6
101.8
153-1.
169.2
185.0
197.7
206.8
213.3
220.9
228.2
232-9
237-6
241.4
247.8
256.9
266.1
261.3
254,7
252.0
251.2
255.7
258.4
256.4
TuolLinme
Cherry Valley
"^,715
2a.o
10.5
11.5
14.5
36.7
60.0
70.3
80.7
85.8
89.4
92.5
94.9
97.2
98.9
100.4
103-7
103-7
104.8
106.4
108.3
109.6
110.8
111.9
113-3
114.1
114.7
115.5
Hetch-Hetchy
3,812
360.0
138.2
137.6
138.5
17'*.7
212.7
238.3
21.6.6
252.3
256.1
257.3
258.9
260.3
261.0
261.7
262.4
262.9
263.4
264.1
265,9
266-2
266.8
267.1
267-1
267.3
267.5
267.5
Dan Pedro
609
289.0
87.li
87.1.
87. 8
llil..2
lltl..3
190.6
196.1.
196.1
204.5
204.3
199.1
193-5
180.6
172.5
165.2
165.2
158.3
152.3
167.8
183-7
182.0
176.7
168.9
160.7
151.9
143.7
Stanislaus
Donnell ' s
1^,921
61t.5
-
26.7
27.0
I1O.7
58.3
57.7
57.5
57.3
57.1
57.0
57.0
56-9
56.7
56.6
56.5
56.4
56.3
56.4
56.4
56.4
56.3
56.2
56.1
56.1
56.0
52.1
Beardsley
3,1*05
97.5
-
36.9
37.0
1.1.. 7
53.9
69.0
75-9
97.6
97.2
78.9
78.8
78.6
78.5
78.4
78-3
78.4
78.4
78.4
78.7
74.5
78.4
78.4
78.4
78.4
78.4
78.4
Me lone s
723
112.5
-
1.2.1.
1.6.1.
87.2
113.2
10I..9
99-9
101.3
100.1
98.2
97.2
96.7
96.0
95-0
94.5
94.7
94.7
96.7
104.0
99.9
97.3
96.3
95.7
95.3
95.0
94.7
Tulloch
515
68.1*
"
53-9
51.. 2
59.1
69.5
6U.lt
70.0
67.8
67.6
64.6
63.6
63.9
63.2
63.2
60.9
62.3
65-5
68.5
69-3
62.8
59.1
57-2
53-3
52.4
51.3
51-1
Calaveras
New Hogan
725
325.0
16.8
19.1.
22.3
31.8
56.3
73-7
77.8
82.7
92.1
97.9
102.7
107.0
111.6
114.2
115.9
118.2
121-5
124.6
145-5
159-0
162.8
161-8
160.8
159.9
159.8
160.6
Hokelumne
Salt Springs
3.960
139. It
-
6.3
5.2
6.0
31.7
51.. 2
6U.5
69.9
73-6
76.6
78.4
79.9
81.8
81.8
77.3
77.3
76-9
78.8
79-9
81.0
81.1
81.1
80.9
80.7
80.6
79.4
Pardee
575
210.0
-
201.8
203.6
219.5
219.5
213-9
211.9
212.3
211.2
209.3
206.4
202.9
197.6
192.4
189.9
189-2
189-7
189. 8
199-7
203.5
203.9
203-5
199.0
197.5
195.4
193.4
Camanche
235.5
lt31.5
-
55.6
61.5
69.8
121*. 2
168.9
in. 3
189.0
200.6
210.5
214.3
221.5
225.7
229-3
239.8
230-4
229-0
232.5
234-5
237.1
239.5
241.4
246.7
249.8
252.9
256.0
PLATE I
Z^
(r
(0
iij
en
\-
<t
•»
Q.
OJ
CO
q:
iij
q:
X
UJ
1-
m
<
UJ
^
$
UJ
o
u_
ill
O
o
?
<
(/)
cc
QC
o
<
<
CD
^w
^—
Q
_l
_l
O
—
—
?
1-
<
O
Sr
o
u
lO
X
o
»-
(/)
<
PLATE I
PLATE 2
OSTROPHIC WIND SCALE
4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0
lESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
FRANCISCO AND ARCATA- MILLIBARS
14.0
NOTE S
the direction from which the wind was blowing:
b pressure is at at elevation of about 5,000 feet.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
METEOROLOGICAL DATA
-SSURE GRADIENT AND WIND
DECEMBER 19-26, 1964
PLATE 2
DECEMBER 1964
PLATE 3
AIR TEMPERATURE AT SEXTON SUMMIT
ELEVATION 3841 FEET
850 mb TEMPERATURE AT MEDFORD
(ABOUT 5000 FEET)
AIR TEMPERATURE AT BLUE CANYON
ELEVATION 5280 FEET
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
METEOROLOGICAL DATA
TEMPERATURE
DECEMBER 19-27, 1964
850 mb TEMPERATURE AT MEDFORD
(ABOUT 5000 FEET)
PLATE 3
AIR TEMPERATURE AT SEXTON SUMMIT
ELEVATION 3841 FEET
AIR TEMPERATURE AT BLUE CANYON
ELEVATION 5280 FEET
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
METEOROLOGICAL DATA
TEMPERATURE
DECEMBER 19-27. 1964
DECEMBER 1964
PLATE 4
^^
..
.
-
— -
_lt
\C
"^
29
30
3. 1
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
lEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
ECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
.ATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES
NORTH COASTAL AREA
ECEMBER 18-31, 1964
—
- . .
'
PLATE
4
1
REDWOOD
CREEK - O'KANE-
7
/
-^
/
'^
^
y
/
y
>
1 1 1 1
Mil 1 IT': HnwAon
/"
"
y
^
y"
.x*
titn
Uec
CAL.DIV.
1
OF 1
<^0R
esrffr^
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
f
^
.-
-
--
16.8"
1
1
^
/
._
__
-'
■"
-■
--
• "
'
1
/
y'
*
_i
iKh_
1/y
--
■-
— -
--
-
^ #^
y
/
1
/
.
//
/ /
/
1
1
/
J
1
J
1
t
27
28
29
30
-^ 3' 1
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
/
1
/
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
/
<*
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
/
-&^
t_
stii
note
cf
y
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DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES
^
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-
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NORTH COASTAL AREA
DPCEMBER 18-31. 1964
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
___^
1
DECEMBER 1964
PLATE
5
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1 29 1 30
ix 1
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
kRTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
:MBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
TIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES
UBA-AMERICAN RIVER BASINS
EMBER 18-31, 1964
PLATE
5
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
y
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/
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DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION CURVES
FEATHER-YUBA-AMERICAN RIVER BASINS
nrrFMRFR lfl-31. 1964
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18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
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DECEMBER 1964
PLATE 6
•A- 10.5"
LE 6.6"
1
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6
7 1
8
JANUARY 1965
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
LATIVE PRECIPITATION C
ATHER-YUBA RIVER BASIN
JANUARY 4-7, J965
URVES
S
PLATE 6
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4
5
6
7
8
JANUARY 1965
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
ACCUMULATIVE PRECIPITATION C
FEATHER-YUBA RIVER BASIN
JANUARY 4-7, 1965
URVES
S
i
PLATE 7
-/0-~
LEGEND
ISOMYETS OF RAINFALL IN INCHES
RESERVOIR
NATURAL LAKE
DRAINAGE BASIN BOUNDARY
+5
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964 - JANUARY 1965
ISOHYETAL MAP
NORTH COASTAL AREA
DECEMBER 18-27 1964 (9 DAYS)
SCALE OF MILES
16
1
/
<^s-
LEGEND
ISOHYETS OF RAINFALL IN INCHES
RESERVOIR
NATURAL LAKE
DRAINAGE 8ASIN BOUNDARY
+5
STATE OF C*L(PORNI*
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964 -JANUARY 1965
ISOHYETAL MAP
NORTH COASTAL AREA
24 HOUR PERIOD ENDING
0800 PST DECEMBER 22 1964
SCALE OF MILES
LEGEND
ISOn-TETS OF fiAINFALL IN INCHES
RESERVOIR
NATURAL LAKE
DRAINAGE 8ASIN BOUNDARY
SAN FRANCISCO SAY
THE RESOunCES AGENCr
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF QPESATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
ISOHYETAL MAP
CENTRAL VALLEY AREA
DECEMBER 18-27 1964 (9 DAYS)
SCai-E OF MILES
LEGEND
ISOHTETS OF nAIMFALI. IN INCHES
RESERVOIR
NATURAL LAKE
DRAINAGE QA5IN 80 UN DA RV
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
The resources agenc*
department of water resources
division of operations
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964 -JANUARY 1965
ISOHYETAL MAP
CENTRAL VALLEY AREA
JANUARY 2-7 1965 (5 DAYS)
SCALE OF MILES
PLATE II
14
14
SMITH RIVER NEAR CRESCENT CITY
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1931 - PRESENT
DATE FLOW IN C F S
12,2Z'6J 192,000
12/22'5S 165,000
10'29/SO 152,000
1173,53 141,000
REDWOOD CREEK AT CRICK
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1910 - 15, 1916 - PRESENT
DATE FLOW IN C F S.
1 IB S3 50,000
12 22 55 50,000
12 22 64 50,000
REDWOOD CREEK NEAR BLUE LAKE
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1953 - 58, 1964 - PRESENT
DATE FLOW IN C F.S.
12/22-64 15, 100
12 21/55 12,100
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
SMITH RIVER AND REDWOOD CREEK
1
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,4 1
DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 |
SMITH RIVER NEAR CRESCENT CITY
PERIOD OF RECORD 1M1 - PRESEMI
DATE
10 TDIVi
FLOWIMCFi
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 1
REDWOOD CREEK AT ORICK
PERIOD OF RECORD 1510 - IS. 1?16 - PHESENI
DATE
1'18/S3
urn 'Si
FLOW IN C F S
so.ooo
50,000
REOWOOO CREEK NEAR BLUE LAKE
PERIOD OF flECOHO IMS - ifl. I'M -. PRESENl
FLOW IMCF.S
11,100
11.100
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
SMITH RIVER AND REDWOOD CREEK
MAD RIVER NEAR ARCATA
PERIOD OF RECORD 1910-13, 1950-PRESENT
DATE
12 '22-55
I2'23M
FLOW INC F.S
77,800
71,000
PLATE 12
14
TRINITY RIVER NEAR HOOPA
PERIOD OF RECORD: 191t-M. 1916-18, 193UPRESENT
DATE
12/32/5S
J/19/S8
2/28/40
FLOW IN C.FS-
260,000
190.000
125,000
124,000
STATE OF CAklFOItNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
MAD AND TRINITY RIVERS
1
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12
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14 1
DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY
965 1
MAD RIVER NEAR ARCATA
PERIOD OF RECOBO 1910-13. 19M-P9ESEHt
DATE
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DECEMSER 1964
JANUARY 1965 1
TRINITY RIVER NEAR HOOPA
PERIODOF RECORD WM-U, 1916-lB, IHl-PHESENT
0*TE
}3/n/5S
n.Oil in C. F s.
IW.OOO
190.000
125,000
134.000
STATE OF CALIFOKNIA
the resources agency
departme:nt of water resources
division of operations
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
MAD AND TRINITY RIVERS
PLATE 13
EEL RIVER AT ALDER POINT
PERIOD OF RECORD: 19S5-PRESENT
DATE FLOWINCFS.
12. 22 64 600,000
12 22 55 376,000
2, 8.60 220,000
EEL RIVER AT SCOTIA
PERIOD OF RECORD; 1910-15, 19I6-PRESENT
DATE FLOW IN C F.S.
12 22. 64 750,000
12.2Z'55 541.000
12. 11 37 345,000
2/8.60 343,000
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF EEL RIVER
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8
9
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13
I- 1
DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 |
EEL RIVER AT ALDER POINT
PERtOOOF ReCOHO I95S-PBESENT
FLO* IN C.F.S
400.000
376,000
220.000
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARYI96% 1
EEL RIVER AT SCOTIA
EHIOOOF RECORD
1910-
5, 19,6
PRESD4T
DATE
11/11/37
2/B/w
FLO" IN C F S
750.000
M 1.000
345,000
W3.000
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF EEL RIVER
PLATE 14
LAKE MENDOCINO (COYOTE DAM)
GROSS POOL 122,500 ACRE-FEET COMPLETED 1959
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1959-PRESENT
DATE INFLOW IN C F S
12 22 M 21,000
2 8 60 10.200
1 31 63 8,800
RUSSIAN RIVER NEAR HOPLAND
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1939-PRESENT
DATE FLOWINCFS
12 22 55 d5,000
12 22 64 41,200
2'28, 40 34, 100
STATE OF CALIFOKMA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OR OI>£RATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF
LAKE MENDOCINO RESERVOIR AND
HYDROGRAPH OF RUSSIAN RIVER
PLATE 14
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3 4 5 6 7 e 9 10 II 12 13 14
OeCEMBEft 1964 jaNUflRT 1965 |
LAKE MENDOCINO (COYOTE DAM)
GTOSSPOOL 112,S(B ACHE. FEET COMPLETED 1959
PERIOD 01= flECDRD: 19S9-PRESENT
DATE
INFLOW IN C F S
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 1
RUSSIAN RIVER NEAR HOPLAND
PEfilOO Of RECOBO, t939-PRESE"T
DATE
I2'2!.'5!
12 22 U
2 28 40
fLOWIKCFS
45.000
41.100
M.1D0
STATE OF CALIFO»tNfA
THE RESOUttCEB AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION on OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF
LAKE MENDOCINO RESERVOIR AND
HYDROGRAPH OF RUSSIAN RIVER
-
-
-
14
PLATE 16
OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT
IUnde> Consttuctionl
Outflow shown is hydrogpoph of Fealher River ot Otov.lle obovo F.sh Bai
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1902-PRESENT
DATE FLOWINC.FS,
12/22 64 250,000*
12/23/64 157.000"
3/19/07 230.000
'Peok .ntlow beh.nd Orov.lle Dam Embonkment
"Peoh discharge o( Feother River at Oroville above Fish Sorrier Dam
14
BLACK BUTTE RESERVOIR
GROSS POOL 160.000 ACRE FEET COMPLETED 1963
PERIOD OF RECORD 1963-PRESENT
DATE INFLOW IN C F S
12 23 64 48,000
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES ACENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OROVILLE DAM EMBAMKMENT,
FEATHER RIVER, AND
OPERATION OF
BLACK BUTTE RESERVOIR,
STONY CREEK
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JANUARY
865 1
SHASTA RESERVOIR
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1VIS-PRESENT
IMFLOW TO SHASTA RESERVOIR COMPUTED ilNCE IM5
REPORTED AS "WCBAUENTO HfVER AT KESWICK" IWJ-W
■'SACRAMENTO RIVER Al KENNETT" 19J5-«
(NFLO# IN C F
lOI.OOO*
187, 100-
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OECEMSER <964
JANUARY 1965
_J
SACRAMENTO RIVER AT RED BLUFF
Flow REGULATED 9Y SHASTA RESERVOIR ilNCE t'«
PERIOD OF RECORD ie78-PflES£MT
PRIOR 10 OOMSTfiUCIlON OF SHASTA DAW
DATE FLOW IN C f S
11/11/37 IB*.OOI)
SINCE COHSTBUCTION OF SHASTA 0AM
DATE
IZZ2 W
l/S-iS
2/19/38
STATE OF CALIFOdNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER t964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF
SHASTA RESERVOIR AND
HYDROGRAPH OF SACRAMENTO RIVER
PLATE 17
F-
14
BUTTE CREEK NEAR CHICO
PERIOD OF RECORD; 1930-PRESENT
DATE
13 22 64
12 22 55
1/5/65
FLOW IN C F,S
21. »0
18,700
17,400
YUBA RIVER AT SMARTVILLE
COMPUTED FROM SUMMATION OF "AT ENGLEBRIGHT DAM" AND
"DEER CREEK NEAR SMARTVILLE"
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1903-PRESENT
REPORTED AS "AT SMARTVILLE" (INCLUDES DEER CREEK} 1903-41;
1941-PRESENT. COMPUTED AS STATED ABOVE
DATE
12 22 64
12 23/55
2/1/63
FLOW IN C F.S.
171,800
156,500
155,000
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
BUTTE CREEK AND YUBA RIVER
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JANUARY 1965 |
OROVILLE DAM EMBANKMENT
Ovillev iSawn II hr^iafroph at FmiKv Ri>» a> Oinvilla iibci>« Fnh But
PERIOD OF RECORD 1903-PHESENT
DATE
1 19 07
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OECEM BER 1964
JANUARY 1965
_l
BLACK BUTTE RESERVOIR
GROSS POOL 160,000 ACHE-FEET COMPLETED l«0}
PERIOD OF RECORD tSiS-PRESENT
STATE or CAi.m>«WIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCV
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OROVILLE DAM EMBAMKMENT,
FEATHER RIVER, AND
OPERATION OF
BLACK BUTTE RESERVOIR,
STONY CREEK
PLATE 18
-
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*
14
FOLSOM
RESERVOIR
GROSS POOL 1.000,000 ACRE-FEET COMPLETED 1954. FLOW REGULATED BY
FOLSOM RESERVOIR SINCE 1955.
PERIOD OF RECORD; 1904-PRESENT
REPORTED AS "AMERICAN RIVER AT FAIR OAKS" 1904-55
DATE
12 23/64
2/l'63
ins/ss
•Peok of figod wove resulting fiom loilure ol "Hel
•■Recofdi furnished by U S, Bureau of Reclomotion
INFLOW IN C F.S
280.000*
240.200"
218.000"
Hole Dom" on the
FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO
FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO RECORD IS OBTAINED BY SUMMATION
OF THE FOLLOWING: SACRAMENTO RIVER AT SACRAMENTO AND YOLO BYPASS
NEAR LISBON (PUBLISHED AS "AT LISBON" PRIOR TO 2 19 59)
PERIOD OF RECORD: 19U-PRESENT
DATE FLOW IN C-FS.
12'25 64 445.000
12/-24,'5S 405.000
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPCRATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF FOLSOM RESERVOIR,
AMERICAN RIVER, AND HYDROGRAPHS OF
FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO
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DECEMSER 1964
JANUARY I96S |
BUTTE CREEK NEAR CHICO
>ERIOD OF BECORE): TOO. PRESENT
DATE
12 i: ss
FLOWINCFS
21.300
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965
J
YUBA RIVER AT SMARTVILLE
PERIOD OF BECOHO: I90)-PRESEHT
DATE
12.21'SS
1-I/6J
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
BUTTE CREEK AND YUBA RIVER
PLATE
14
COSUMNES RIVER AT MICHIGAN BAR
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1907-PRESENT
DATE FLOWINCFS.
12/23/55 42,000
2/1/63 39,400
12/23/64 37.500
SAN JOAQUIN NR. VERNALIS
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1922-PRESEnT
DATE FLOWINCFS.
12/ 9 '50 79,000*
3/16/38 51,200"
12/25/55 50.900
4/S/5B 41,400
'Includes (low fhiough levee b'eokt
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVlS(ON OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
COSUMNES AND SAN JOAQUIN RIVERS
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JANUARri96S 1
FOLSOM RESERVOIR
PERIOD OF RECORD^ 1904-PRESEHT
REPORTED AS "AMERICAN RIVER At FAIR 0*KS" 190I.S5
DATE INFLOW IN CF.S
ll.JJ'M ISO.OOO-
(2 23 SS ilSOCO"-
■*Rkd«ji h-roUd br U S Svnu al Rxlomotiw
FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO
R.OW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO RECORD tSOBTAlMEO 9T SUHAMTKM
OF THE FOLLOWING SAOIAMENTO S1VER AT SACRAMENTO AND TOLO BYPASS
NEAR LISBON (PUBLISHED AS ''AT LISBON" PRIOR TO 2 W B)
PEftlOO OF RECORD- 19H-PRESD<T
FLOW IN CF
12.'1S'M
1121 U
iOSOOO
STATE OF CALirOBNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
OIVIStON OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF FOLSOM RESERVOIR,
AMERICAN RIVER, AND HYDROGRAPHS OF
FLOW PAST LATITUDE OF SACRAMENTO
PLATE 20
■^
»^
-
1
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14
PARDEE RESERVOIR
GROSS POOL 210,000 ACRE-FEET COMPLETED 1929
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1929-PRESENT
DATE
12/3/30
12/24/M
12/23/64
11/20/50
INFLOW IN C F.S.
34,000
32,100
30,500
30,000
.-
14
1
NOTE SEE RESERVOIR RELEASE HYOROGRAPH OF PARDEE RESERVOIR
SHOWN ABOVE FOR INFLO* TO THIS RESERVOIR
CAMANCHE RESERVOIR
GROSS POOL 431,500 ACRE-FEET COMPLETED 1963
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1963-PRESENT
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
□ IVISICTN OR OPCRATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF PARDEE
AND CAMANCHE RESERVOIRS,
MOKELUMNE RIVER
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 |
COSUMNES RIVER AT MICHIGAN BAR
IW7-PHtS£NT
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARYI96S ■
SAN JOAQUIN NR VERNALIS
PERIOD OF RECORD. lOM-PHESENT
117S JS ».™0
STATE OF CALIFOHNI*
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
HYDROGRAPHS OF
COSUMNES AND SAN JOAQUIN RIVERS
PLATE 21
ivl
LAKE McCLURE (EXCHEQUER DAM)
GRObS POOL 289.000 ACRE-FEET COMPLETED 1926
PERIOD OF RECORD: 1926-PRESENT
DATE
12/23/55
11/19/50
INFLOW IN C F S
100,000
83,000
MERCED RIVER NEAR STEVINSON
PERIOD OF RECORD; 1940-PRESENT
DATE
12 5 SO
FLOW INC F S
13,600
STATE or CALIFOMNf A
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION Ofi-orCRATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY I960
OPERATION OF
LAKE MCCLURE RESERVOIR AND
HYDROGRAPH OF MERCED RIVER
p 200 L.
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JANUARY 1965 |
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STATE OF CALirORNfA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
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OIVISieJN OR OPERATIONS
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AND CAMANCHE RESERVOIRS,
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DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
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JANUARY I9G5 |
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TUOLUMNE RIVER AT MODESTO
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DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
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JANUARY 1965 1
TULLOCH RESERVOIR
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THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
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FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
OPERATION OF
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STANISLAUS RIVER
PLATE 25
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STATE OF CALirOWMIA
THE RESOURCeS AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
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FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
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JANUARY 1965 . |
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HOCAN RESERVOIR
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PERIOD OP RECORD 1930-1963
NEW HOGAN RESERVOIR
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PERIOD OF RECORD 1963-PBESENT
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STATE OF CiU.IPO«*«A
THt Rcsounci* AaiNcr
OEPAirrMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
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FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
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STANISLAUS RIVER AND
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NEW HOGAN RESERVOIR,
CALAVERAS RIVER
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CACHE CREEK AT RUMSEY BRIOGE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
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JANUARY I96S |
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DECEMBER I9e4
JANUARYOeS 1
SACRAMENTO RIVER AT SACRAMENTO
YOLO BYPASS NEAR LISBON
SACRAMENTO RIVER AT RIO VISTA
ST»T« or CALIFO«*IA
THE RESOUKCU ACCNCV
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF-OFERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
GAGE HEIGHTS OF
SACRAMENTO RIVER AND YOLO BYPASS
PLATE 27
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SAN JOAOUIN RIVER NEAR NEWMAN
SAN JOAOUIN RIVER NEAR VERNALIS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPCRATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
GAGE HEIGHTS OF
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
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DECEMBER 1964
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FEATHER RIVER AT OROVILLE ABOVE FISH BARRIER DAM
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1 OECEMeER 1964
JANUARY 1-9 65 1
FEATHER RIVER AT NICOLAUS
YUBA RIVER AT ENGLEBRIGHT D*U
CACHE CREEK AT RUMSEY BRIDGE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
GAGE HEIGHTS OF
FEATHER RIVER, YUBA RIVER,
AND CACHE CREEK
PLATE 28
LEGEND
• RECORDING PRECIPITATION GiGE
O NON- RECORDING PRECIPITATION GAGE
e BOTH RECORDINGS NON - R E COR 0 I NG PRECIPITATION GAGES
A STREAM GAGING STATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
PRECIPITATION AND STREAM
GAGING STATIONS
NORTH COASTAL AREA
SCALE OF MILES
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DECEMBER J964
JANUARY 1965 |
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NEAR NEWMAN
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DECEMBER 1964
JANUARY 1965 1
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NEAR VERNALIS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
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DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
GAGE HEIGHTS OF
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
/
PLATE 29
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
MAJOR DISASTER AREAS
SCALE OF MILES
0 40 80 120
c o
LEGEND
• RECOnOiNG PnECiBIT&TION G4CE
O NOH-RECOHOINC eREClPIT«IIOH OBGE
O BOTH «eC0n0lNC B NON-BECOROING PHEC101T4TI0N OaCeS
A STREAM GACINC STATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
PRECIPITATION AND STREAM
GAGING STATIONS
NORTH COASTAL AREA
PLATE 29
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
MAJOR DISAS^TER AREAS
SCALE OF MILES
40 Bl
PLATE 30
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
THE RESOURCES AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION OF OPERATIONS
FLOOD OF
DECEMBER 1964-JANUARY 1965
MAJOR DRAINAGE AREAS
IN
CALIFORNIA
LEGEND
ELEVATION IN FEET
500 AND UNDER
500 TO 2500
2500 TO 5000
SOOO TO 7500
7500 TO 10.000
1^1 10,000 AND OVER
'"~-' DRAINAGE BOUNDARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS
3 1175 03194 7990
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