John Day River at Service Creek water level

Name: John Day River at Service Creek 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, John Day River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM PDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 201 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.14 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:15 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at John Day River at Service Creek reads 1.97 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.53 ft below the flood stage of 11.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.14 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.95 ft and 1.98 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.85 ftDecember 23, 1964
Forecast peak: 2.14 ftFriday, October 23 at 11:00 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 11.50 ft, still 9.53 ft away.

Highest crests on record

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

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.85 ft	December 23, 1964
2	16.49 ft	January 1, 1997
3	16.19 ft	April 10, 2019
4	15.50 ft	March 26, 1952
5	15.20 ft	May 17, 2011
6	15.10 ft	May 8, 1956
7	14.65 ft	February 21, 1982
8	14.59 ft	January 24, 1970
9	14.10 ft	December 29, 1945
10	14.02 ft	February 9, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 41° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 69° 50° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 72° 49° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 65° 47° – Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 55° 40° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 64° 38° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the John Day River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
John Day River at Blue Mountain Hot Springs near Prairie CityRiver gauge, John Day River	23.7 cfs	Very low	±0	77 mi
John Day River near John DayRiver gauge, John Day River	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	±0	60 mi
John Day River at McDonald FerryRiver gauge, John Day River	200 cfs	Low	+10.0 cfs	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bridge Creek above Coyote Canyon near MitchellRiver gauge, Bridge Creek	0.9 cfs	Very low	+0.1 cfs	15 mi
North Fork John Day River at MonumentRiver gauge, North Fork John Day River	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Willow Creek Lake at HeppnerLake, Willow Creek Lake	2,047.35 ft	No reference yet	±0	44 mi
Willow Creek at HeppnerRiver gauge, Willow Creek	0.8 cfs	Low	±0	44 mi
Willow Creek above Willow Creek Lake, near HeppnerRiver gauge, Willow Creek	0.9 cfs	Low	+0.1 cfs	45 mi
Willow Creek at Morgan Street, at HeppnerRiver gauge, Willow Creek	1.9 cfs	Low	+0.1 cfs	45 mi
Ochoco ReservoirReservoir	3,080.78 ft	Low		49 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the John Day River at Service Creek?

The official flood stage is 11.50 ft. The level is currently 9.53 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 John Day River at Service Creek today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM PDT, the water level was 1.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is John Day River at Service Creek rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of John Day River at Service Creek normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at John Day River at Service Creek?

The highest level on record is 17.85 ft on December 23, 1964.

Is John Day River at Service Creek expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.14 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14046500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.79401, -120.00702 (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	1.97 ft	2026-10-20 01:30	Provisional
Flow	201 cfs	2026-10-20 01:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: John Day River at Service Creek (usgs:14046500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/john-day-river-at-service-creek

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