USGS Streamgage 11266500
Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA
Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA is USGS streamgage 11266500 in California, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 18040008. It drains a watershed of about 321 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1916. Typical flow runs near 370.1 cfs in July and 1,061.6 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
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Gauge details
- State
- California
- Drainage area
- 321 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 3,865 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 18040008
- Coordinates
- 37.71628, -119.66567
- USGS site number
- 11266500
- Records begin
- 1916-10-01 (110 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.8 | 18.5 | 19.7 | ||
| 16.2 | 18 | 19.6 | ||
| 15.5 | 17.6 | 19.5 | ||
| 15.2 | 17.3 | 19.4 | ||
| 14.8 | 17 | 19.2 | ||
| 14.4 | 16.7 | 19.1 | ||
| 14.1 | 16.4 | 18.8 | ||
| 13.7 | 16.1 | 18.6 | ||
| 13.4 | 15.9 | 18.4 | ||
| 13.1 | 15.6 | 18.2 | ||
| 13.5 | 16.6 | 20.5 | ||
| 14.1 | 17.8 | 23.2 | ||
| 13.8 | 17.3 | 22 | ||
| 13.3 | 16.6 | 21 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 110 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29.9 | 127 | 446.7 | |
| February | 73.9 | 199.4 | 454.8 | |
| March | 165.9 | 386.9 | 829.5 | |
| April | 474.8 | 1,061.6 | 2,072.3 | |
| May | 862.1 | 2,095.2 | 4,178.1 | |
| June | 391.6 | 1,523.9 | 3,993.7 | |
| July | 95.1 | 370.1 | 1,554.9 | |
| August | 33.3 | 83.4 | 341.9 | |
| September | 16.8 | 34.5 | 119.5 | |
| October | 13.8 | 30 | 138.1 | |
| November | 19.2 | 50 | 249.8 | |
| December | 23.5 | 84.9 | 319.4 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA normally run highest?
- May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 2,095.2 cfs, against 30 cfs in October, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 127 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 29.9 and 446.7 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 11266500 begin in 1916, about 110 years, covering roughly 9,130 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA?
- The gauge sits at 37.71628, -119.66567, in California, in hydrologic subbasin 18040008, at an elevation of about 3,865 feet, draining roughly 321 square miles.
- Can I use Merced River A Pohono Bridge near Yosemite, CA data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.