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John Day River near John Day

Highest listed crest 10.80 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft7 crests since 1969

The John Day River near John Day crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2011. The highest, 10.80 ft on June 9, 1969, was major flooding, 2.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.80 ft
June 9, 1969; 5,830 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
1
45th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2011
8.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Grant County
Oregon

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, John Day River near John Day
Action stage7.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.04May 16, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.02Jan 31, 1997Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.51Jun 9, 1969Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

7 crests from 1969 to 2011. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the John Day River near John Day, 1969 to 2011 891011ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 10.5 ft Jun 9, 1969: 10.80 ft, major flooding; 5,830 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1971: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 3,620 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1991: 9.16 ft, moderate flooding; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1997: 10.06 ft, moderate flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2011: 8.42 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2011: 8.50 ft, minor flooding Highest, 10.80 ft, Jun 9, 1969 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, John Day River near John Day 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, John Day River near John Day
1Jun 9, 196910.80+2.80Major5,830
2Jan 31, 199710.06+2.06Moderate4,810
3May 19, 19919.16+1.16Moderate3,740
4Jan 17, 19718.92+0.92Minor4,000
5Feb 16, 19828.60+0.60Minor3,620
6May 16, 20118.50+0.50Minor—
7Jan 17, 20118.42+0.42Minor—

The worst floods along the John Day River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the John Day River that crested above flood stage within a week.

February 16, 1982: 8.60 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the John Day River

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

Flood gauges on the John Day River
John Day this gaugeOR8.010.80 ft, Jun 9, 19691
Service CreekOR11.517.85 ft, Dec 23, 19646

Other gauges in Grant County

Flood gauges in Grant County
Monument14.018.45 ft, Jan 30, 19650

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JHNO3, 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.