John Day River near John Day water level

Name: John Day River near John Day 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

3.54ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 62.9 cfs
Water temperature: 46 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.54 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:26 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The John Day River near John Day is at 3.54 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.46 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.54 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.53 ft and 3.55 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 46 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 10.80 ftJune 9, 1969
Forecast peak: 3.61 ftThursday, October 22 at 11:00 PM

Floating and fishing near John Day River near John Day

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

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 4.46 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

10.50 ft: Extensive flooding of the lower west side of John Day.
10.00 ft: Major field flooding wtih some homes flooded in the lower sections of John Day.
9.00 ft: At this level, there will be extensive pasture and field flooding near the fairgrounds in John Day. Some homes near Bridge Street will be threatened. There will likely be backwater flooding upstream of Picture Gorge. There will be high water velocities with substantial bank erosion.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding of lowland fields and pastures throughout the valley.
3.54 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	10.80 ft	June 9, 1969
2	10.06 ft	January 31, 1997
3	9.16 ft	May 19, 1991
4	8.92 ft	January 17, 1971
5	8.60 ft	February 16, 1982
6	8.50 ft	May 16, 2011
7	8.42 ft	January 17, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 58%

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	17 mi
John Day River at Service CreekRiver gauge, John Day River	1.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	60 mi
John Day River at McDonald FerryRiver gauge, John Day River	195 cfs	Low	+5.0 cfs	109 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mf John Day River above Camp Creek, near GalenaRiver gauge, Mf John Day River	15.9 cfs	Very low	+0.4 cfs	20 mi
Middle Fork John Day River at RitterRiver gauge, Middle Fork John Day River	23.9 cfs	Very low	+0.6 cfs	34 mi
Unity ReservoirReservoir	3,786.22 ft	Normal		36 mi
North Fork John Day River at MonumentRiver gauge, North Fork John Day River	2.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	38 mi
Beulah Reservoir and Agency ValleyReservoir	3,289.97 ft	Normal		51 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the John Day River near John Day?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.46 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 near John Day today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT, the water level was 3.54 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is John Day River near John Day rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of John Day River near John Day 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 near John Day?

The highest level on record is 10.80 ft on June 9, 1969.

Is John Day River near John Day expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.54 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14038530 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.41849, -118.90634 (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	3.54 ft	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional
Flow	62.9 cfs	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional
Water temperature	46 °F	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: John Day River near John Day (usgs:14038530). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/john-day-river-near-john-day

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