Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cow Creek near Riddle

Highest listed crest 28.50 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft23 crests since 1950

The Cow Creek near Riddle crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 23 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2025. The highest, 28.50 ft on October 29, 1950, was major flooding, 6.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.50 ft
October 29, 1950; 41,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
4
25th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2025
25.64 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Douglas County
Oregon

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cow Creek near Riddle
Action stage18.08Jan 20, 1993The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.06Feb 7, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.04Mar 16, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.04Jan 15, 1974Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

23 crests from 1950 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cow Creek near Riddle, 1950 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Oct 29, 1950: 28.50 ft, major flooding; 41,100 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1955: 27.35 ft, major flooding; 36,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1957: 19.37 ft, action stage; 22,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1958: 21.92 ft, action stage; 26,600 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1959: 23.43 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1961: 19.00 ft, action stage; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1964: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1964: 27.67 ft, major flooding; 37,500 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1966: 24.46 ft, minor flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1969: 19.74 ft, action stage; 22,900 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1971: 25.01 ft, moderate flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1974: 28.17 ft, major flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1981: 24.42 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1982: 20.12 ft, action stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 18.63 ft, action stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1983: 26.79 ft, moderate flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 20.33 ft, action stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1993: 18.89 ft, action stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 26.22 ft, moderate flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1996: 22.52 ft, minor flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2012: 12.88 ft, below flood stage; 11,529 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2015: 24.29 ft, minor flooding; 30,711 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2025: 25.64 ft, moderate flooding; 33,290 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.50 ft, Oct 29, 1950 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cow Creek near Riddle 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cow Creek near Riddle
1Oct 29, 195028.50+6.50Major41,100
2Jan 15, 197428.17+6.17Major38,400
3Dec 22, 196427.67+5.67Major37,500
4Dec 26, 195527.35+5.35Major36,900
5Feb 18, 198326.79+4.79Moderate35,500
6Jan 9, 199526.22+4.22Moderate34,400
7Mar 16, 202525.64+3.64Moderate33,290
8Jan 17, 197125.01+3.01Moderate32,400
9Jan 3, 196624.46+2.46Minor31,400
10Dec 6, 198124.42+2.42Minor31,000
11Feb 7, 201524.29+2.29Minor30,711
12Jan 20, 196423.57+1.57Minor29,600
13Jan 12, 195923.43+1.43Minor29,400
14Dec 8, 199622.52+0.52Minor27,400
15Feb 24, 195821.92−0.08Action26,600
16Feb 13, 198420.33−1.67Action23,400
17Dec 16, 198220.12−1.88Action23,200
18Dec 21, 196919.74−2.26Action22,900
19Feb 26, 195719.37−2.63Action22,500
20Feb 11, 196119.00−3.00Action21,800
21Jan 20, 199318.89−3.11Action21,000
22Jan 26, 198318.63−3.37Action20,700
23Nov 20, 201212.88−9.12Below flood stage11,529

Other gauges in Douglas County

Flood gauges in Douglas County
Roseburg10.015.91 ft, Mar 16, 20252
Drain16.023.70 ft, Feb 10, 19613
Winchester26.034.20 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Roseburg22.034.00 ft, Dec 23, 19502
Riddle19.034.00 ft, Dec 23, 195011
Tiller18.025.72 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Winston26.034.28 ft, Dec 23, 19643
Reedsport18.018.96 ft, Dec 31, 20050
Elkton33.051.95 ft, Dec 23, 19641

Douglas County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oregon

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RDLO3, 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.