Bear Creek at Medford water level

Name: Bear Creek at Medford 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, Bear Creek, Oregon, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM PDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 17.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.63 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:17 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Bear Creek at Medford reads 2.48 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.52 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.63 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.47 ft and 2.52 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.69 ftJanuary 1, 1997
Forecast peak: 2.63 ftSunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 7.52 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding is occuring from Ashland to Medford. Water in the mall parking lot reaches half way to the structure. Barnett Street bridge is closed due to high water. Trailer parks along Bear Creek from Talent to Medford are completely flooded. Numerous roads are flooded and likely closed.
13.00 ft: Moderate flooding is occuring. Trailer and mobile home parks from Talent to Medford are flooded. Evacuations from these areas are likely. Water is over Barnett Street bridge and Fern Valley Road near Bear Creek at Interstate 5 exit in Phoenix.
10.00 ft: Bear Creek is at flood stage. Water begins to enter mobile home parks along Bear Creek from Talent to Medford. Widespread low-land and orchard flooding is taking place. Some roads are flooded.
7.00 ft: Bear Creek is at bankfull. Some minor flooding of low-lying fields is occurring along with some flooding of Bear Creek golf course.
2.48 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.69 ft	January 1, 1997
2	11.17 ft	December 31, 1996
3	8.86 ft	December 8, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 42° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 64° 47° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 75° 46° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 76° 53° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 68° 49° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 63° 44° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 69° 44° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on Bear Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bear Creek below Ashland Creek at AshlandRiver gauge, Bear Creek	7.5 cfs	Low	+0.5 cfs	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Agate ReservoirReservoir	1,480.42 ft	Normal		8 mi
Rogue River at Raygold near Central PointRiver gauge, Rogue River	0.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	10 mi
Little Applegate River near BuncomRiver gauge, Little Applegate River	−0.29 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Rogue River at Dodge Bridge, near Eagle PointRiver gauge, Rogue River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
East Fork Ashland Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, East Fork Ashland Creek	1.4 cfs	Very low	±0	14 mi
West Fork Ashland Creek near AshlandRiver gauge, West Fork Ashland Creek	2.3 cfs	Normal	±0	14 mi
Applegate River near ApplegateRiver gauge, Applegate River	0.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Emigrant LakeLake	2,159.73 ft	Low		17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Bear Creek at Medford?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.52 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 Bear Creek at Medford today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM PDT, the water level was 2.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Bear Creek at Medford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Bear Creek at Medford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Bear Creek at Medford?

The highest level on record is 14.69 ft on January 1, 1997.

Is Bear Creek at Medford expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.63 ft by Sunday, October 25 at 05:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14357500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.32402, -122.86671 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	2.48 ft	2026-10-19 04:15	Provisional
Flow	17.7 cfs	2026-10-19 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bear Creek at Medford (usgs:14357500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/bear-creek-at-medford

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