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Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen

Highest listed crest 7.15 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft29 crests since 1972

The Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen crested above flood stage 12 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2025. The highest, 7.15 ft on April 26, 1978, was moderate flooding, 1.15 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.15 ft
April 26, 1978; 4,270 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
0
12 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 10, 2023
6.23 ft, minor flooding
Location
Harney County
Oregon

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen
Action stage5.03Feb 24, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.010Apr 10, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.02May 6, 2005Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1972 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen, 1972 to 2025 2468ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Feb 28, 1972: 6.36 ft, minor flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1978: 7.15 ft, moderate flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 6.28 ft, minor flooding; 3,060 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1989: 6.58 ft, minor flooding; 3,450 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1993: 6.63 ft, minor flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1998: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2002: 4.01 ft, below flood stage; 831 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2003: 4.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2005: 7.08 ft, moderate flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2005: 6.23 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2007: 4.03 ft, below flood stage; 845 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2008: 4.37 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2009: 6.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2010: 6.02 ft, minor flooding; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2011: 6.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2012: 3.86 ft, below flood stage; 722 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2013: 3.37 ft, below flood stage; 461 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2014: 4.22 ft, below flood stage; 926 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 5.26 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2016: 4.53 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2017: 4.27 ft, below flood stage; 955 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2018: 2.77 ft, below flood stage; 229 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2019: 5.39 ft, action stage; 1,673 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2020: 3.71 ft, below flood stage; 614 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2021: 3.21 ft, below flood stage; 389 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2022: 4.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2023: 6.23 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2024: 4.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2025: 5.35 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per second Highest, 7.15 ft, Apr 26, 1978 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 3 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Donner und Blitzen River near French Glen
1Apr 26, 19787.15+1.15Moderate4,270
2May 6, 20057.08+1.08Moderate4,180
3Mar 17, 19936.63+0.63Minor3,520
4Mar 9, 19896.58+0.58Minor3,450
5Feb 28, 19726.36+0.36Minor2,830
6Jun 14, 20096.34+0.34Minor2,500
7May 14, 19986.32+0.32Minor3,110
8Feb 18, 19866.28+0.28Minor3,060
9May 16, 20116.28+0.28Minor2,430
10Dec 30, 20056.23+0.23Minor4,180
11Apr 10, 20236.23+0.23Minor2,370
12Jun 4, 20106.02+0.02Minor2,160
13Apr 9, 20195.39−0.61Action1,673
14Feb 24, 20255.35−0.65Action1,640
15May 24, 20155.26−0.74Action1,580
16May 9, 20034.96−1.04Below flood stage1,600
17Jun 12, 20224.63−1.37Below flood stage1,150
18May 7, 20164.53−1.47Below flood stage1,100
19Jan 28, 20244.47−1.53Below flood stage1,050
20May 19, 20084.37−1.63Below flood stage1,100
21Mar 30, 20174.27−1.73Below flood stage955
22Mar 10, 20144.22−1.78Below flood stage926
23Apr 22, 20074.03−1.97Below flood stage845
24Apr 14, 20024.01−1.99Below flood stage831
25Apr 26, 20123.86−2.14Below flood stage722
26May 29, 20203.71−2.29Below flood stage614
27May 14, 20133.37−2.63Below flood stage461
28Mar 5, 20213.21−2.79Below flood stage389
29May 7, 20182.77−3.23Below flood stage229

Other gauges in Harney County

Flood gauges in Harney County
Burns12.015.20 ft, Apr 6, 19520

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DONO3, 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.