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Owyhee River near Mountain City

Highest listed crest 9.81 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft7 crests since 1993

The Owyhee River near Mountain City crested above flood stage 6 times among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1993 to 2019. The highest, 9.81 ft on March 17, 1993, was moderate flooding, 1.81 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.81 ft
March 17, 1993; 2,007 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 30, 2019
8.48 ft, minor flooding
Location
Elko County
Nevada

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Owyhee River near Mountain City
Action stage7.01May 16, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.01May 30, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.05Feb 9, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

7 crests from 1993 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Owyhee River near Mountain City, 1993 to 2019 7.588.599.510ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Mar 17, 1993: 9.81 ft, moderate flooding; 2,007 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1998: 7.89 ft, action stage; 1,179 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2005: 9.07 ft, moderate flooding; 1,665 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2006: 9.14 ft, moderate flooding; 1,697 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2011: 9.18 ft, moderate flooding; 1,715 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2017: 9.38 ft, moderate flooding; 1,807 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2019: 8.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,415 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.81 ft, Mar 17, 1993 199520002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Owyhee River near Mountain City 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 3 1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Owyhee River near Mountain City
1Mar 17, 19939.81+1.81Moderate2,007
2Feb 9, 20179.38+1.38Moderate1,807
3Apr 19, 20119.18+1.18Moderate1,715
4May 1, 20069.14+1.14Moderate1,697
5May 16, 20059.07+1.07Moderate1,665
6May 30, 20198.48+0.48Minor1,415
7May 16, 19987.89−0.11Action1,179

Gauges on the Owyhee River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Owyhee River
Wildhorse DamNV6,208.06,208.00 ft, May 15, 19840
WildhorseNV3.510.10 ft, May 5, 19229
Mountain City this gaugeNV8.09.81 ft, Mar 17, 19930

Other gauges in Elko County

Flood gauges in Elko County
Rowland7.013.37 ft, Apr 3, 19664
Carlin7.012.20 ft, May 17, 19848
Elko6.212.30 ft, Feb 13, 19624
Jarbidge5.55.83 ft, May 22, 20230
Lamoille4.86.98 ft, Jun 6, 201012
Carlin5.06.76 ft, Apr 6, 20062
Hot Springs Creek nr Deeth6.07.36 ft, May 5, 20230
Wildhorse Dam6,208.06,208.00 ft, May 15, 19840
Wildhorse3.510.10 ft, May 5, 19229
San Jacinto10.017.11 ft, Feb 10, 20172
Dixie Creek5.56.80 ft, Jan 12, 19791

Elko County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nevada

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OMCN2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.