Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale water level

Name: Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Malheur River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

11.11ft Up 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:30 AM PDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 106 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 11.78 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:12 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale is at 11.11 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.39 ft below the flood stage of 19.50 ft.

It has risen 0.24 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 11.78 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM. There is still 8.39 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 10.86 ft and 11.61 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.58 ftFebruary 24, 1957
Forecast peak: 11.78 ftFriday, October 23 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 19.50 ft, 8.39 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: The river level will be about three feet from overtopping the levee which protects the city of Vale from major flooding. Even though there is still approximately three feet between the surface of the river and the top of the levee, any rise above 24 feet will exceed the safe design capacity of the levee. Major flooding of other areas within the 100 year flood plain between Harper and Ontario is likely.
23.00 ft: Water may begin flowing over Highway 20 near Harper. Numerous roads crossing the river between Harper and Ontario will be flooded with water entering houses near the 36th Street Bridge in Ontario. Foothill and Lagoon Drive near Vale may flood if Willow Creek is running high. Extensive inundation of farmland will occur between Harper and Ontario.
22.00 ft: Extensive flooding of farmland between Harper and Ontario will occur. Numerous roads near the river will be flooded including Harper Bridge Road near Harper, Butte Drive between Vale and Ontario, and the 36th Street Bridge area just upstream from Ontario including Malheur Drive. Some houses may be surrounded by water. The river crest will take about 12 hours to move downstream from Harper to Vale, and another 8 hours to move from Vale to Ontario.
21.00 ft: Flood waters will rise above low spots on Copeland Road near Harper. Butte Drive will be flooded with water greater than 1 foot deep between the bridge and Foothill Drive. The area near the 36th Street Bridge upstream from Ontario will flood with water flowing over low spots on Malheur Drive. Debris damming on the 36th Street Bridge may be a problem. Water may cover portions of Airport Road and Russel Road southwest of Vale when Bully Creek is running high.
20.50 ft: Flooding of some county roads near the river will occur, including Westfall Road near Harper.
19.50 ft: The river will begin spilling over its bank flooding farmland between Vale and Ontario. Water will begin approaching low spots on Butte Drive. Water will approach the 36th Street Bridge upstream from Ontario about 8 hours after flood stage is exceeded near Vale.
11.11 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.58 ft	February 24, 1957
2	23.80 ft	February 22, 1982
3	23.55 ft	February 25, 2025
4	23.31 ft	March 19, 1993
5	22.58 ft	January 18, 2011
6	22.05 ft	January 1, 2006
7	21.56 ft	April 12, 2023
8	21.23 ft	February 22, 2017
9	21.23 ft	March 26, 1952
10	21.09 ft	March 5, 1983

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 47° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 76° 50° 0.05 in Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 69° 53° 0.15 in, 72% Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 61° 48° 0.02 in, 72% Wind 20 mph

24 Sat 59° 40° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 62° 42° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 64° 44° – Wind 2 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 05:58 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bully Creek ReservoirReservoir	2,479.48 ft	Normal		9 mi
Snake River at NyssaRiver gauge, Snake River	7,540 cfs	Very low	+400 cfs	14 mi
Payette River near PayetteRiver gauge, Payette River	4.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Sand Run Gulch near ParmaRiver gauge, Sand Run Gulch	72.1 cfs	Low	+12.5 cfs	18 mi
Boise River near ParmaRiver gauge, Boise River	766 cfs	Low	+70.0 cfs	19 mi
Snake River at WeiserRiver gauge, Snake River	3.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	21 mi
Owyhee River below Owyhee DamRiver gauge, Owyhee River	1.15 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Lake Owyhee and OwyheeLake	2,604.00 ft	Low		24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale?

The official flood stage is 19.50 ft. The level is currently 8.39 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:30 AM PDT, the water level was 11.11 ft. Up 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale rising or falling?

Up 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale?

The highest level on record is 24.58 ft on February 24, 1957.

Is Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 11.78 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13233300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.98750, -117.21889 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	11.11 ft	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional
Flow	106 cfs	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Malheur River below Nevada Dam near Vale (usgs:13233300). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/malheur-river-below-nevada-dam-near-vale

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer