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Owyhee River near Wildhorse

Highest listed crest 10.10 ftFlood stage 3.5 ft13 crests since 1916

The Owyhee River near Wildhorse crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 1984. The highest, 10.10 ft on May 5, 1922, was major flooding, 6.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.10 ft
May 5, 1922; 1,810 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
3.5 ft
Major flooding from 5.5 ft
Crests at major
9
3rd of 46 gauges in Nevada
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 1984
5.20 ft, moderate 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 Wildhorse
Action stage3.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)3.50—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage4.54May 14, 1984Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage5.59Apr 29, 1952Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1916 to 1984. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Owyhee River near Wildhorse, 1916 to 1984 24681012ft Flood stage 3.5 ftMajor 5.5 ft Apr 11, 1916: 7.70 ft, major flooding; 970 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1917: 8.50 ft, major flooding; 1,380 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1920: 6.00 ft, major flooding; 623 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1921: 6.86 ft, major flooding; 828 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1922: 10.10 ft, major flooding; 1,810 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1924: 5.85 ft, major flooding; 670 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1925: 6.73 ft, major flooding; 860 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1939: 5.44 ft, moderate flooding; 705 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1943: 6.62 ft, major flooding; 980 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1952: 6.70 ft, major flooding; 1,210 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1969: 5.33 ft, moderate flooding; 417 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1983: 5.45 ft, moderate flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1984: 5.20 ft, moderate flooding; 1,590 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.10 ft, May 5, 1922 1920193019401950196019701980

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Owyhee River near Wildhorse 1910s: 2 1920s: 5 5 1930s: 1 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s
  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 Wildhorse
1May 5, 192210.10+6.60Major1,810
2May 14, 19178.50+5.00Major1,380
3Apr 11, 19167.70+4.20Major970
4Apr 22, 19216.86+3.36Major828
5Apr 12, 19256.73+3.23Major860
6Apr 29, 19526.70+3.20Major1,210
7Apr 5, 19436.62+3.12Major980
8Apr 30, 19206.00+2.50Major623
9Apr 10, 19245.85+2.35Major670
10Apr 25, 19835.45+1.95Moderate1,700
11Mar 23, 19395.44+1.94Moderate705
12Apr 29, 19695.33+1.83Moderate417
13May 14, 19845.20+1.70Moderate1,590

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
Wildhorse this gaugeNV3.510.10 ft, May 5, 19229
Mountain CityNV8.09.81 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
Mountain City8.09.81 ft, Mar 17, 19930
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 OGCN2, 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.