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Johnson Creek near Sycamore

Highest listed crest 15.33 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft43 crests since 1937

The Johnson Creek near Sycamore crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2025. The highest, 15.33 ft on December 7, 2015, was major flooding, 4.33 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Johnson Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.33 ft
December 7, 2015; 2,740 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
8
6th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2025
12.98 ft, minor flooding
Location
Multnomah County
Near Happy Valley (3.0 mi), Gresham (3.7 mi), Milwaukie (5.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Johnson Creek near Sycamore
Action stage10.02Feb 5, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.023Dec 19, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.09Jan 19, 2012Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.08Dec 7, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1937 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Johnson Creek near Sycamore, 1937 to 2025 810121416ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Dec 1, 1937: 14.50 ft, major floodingJan 7, 1948: 13.06 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1949: 13.77 ft, moderate floodingJan 22, 1954: 12.23 ft, minor floodingDec 21, 1955: 12.07 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 1956: 13.23 ft, moderate floodingJan 15, 1956: 12.30 ft, minor floodingNov 24, 1960: 13.78 ft, moderate floodingNov 20, 1962: 12.50 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 1964: 14.68 ft, major flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1969: 12.29 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1972: 12.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1974: 12.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,500 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1977: 13.89 ft, moderate flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1980: 14.03 ft, major floodingDec 3, 1980: 12.07 ft, minor flooding; 1,330 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1981: 11.58 ft, minor flooding; 1,170 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1982: 13.66 ft, moderate flooding; 2,020 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1983: 11.98 ft, minor flooding; 1,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1986: 12.01 ft, minor floodingFeb 1, 1987: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 1,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1991: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,130 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1994: 13.21 ft, moderate flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1994: 12.26 ft, minor flooding; 1,300 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 1995: 14.00 ft, major floodingJan 1, 1996: 12.06 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 1996: 14.28 ft, major flooding; 2,350 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1996: 15.30 ft, major flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1996: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 12.17 ft, minor flooding; 1,400 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1998: 10.41 ft, action stage; 950 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1999: 8.46 ft, below flood stage; 664 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2003: 13.24 ft, moderate flooding; 1,823 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2003: 11.28 ft, minor flooding; 1,146 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2007: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,330 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2009: 14.69 ft, major flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2012: 13.21 ft, moderate flooding; 1,820 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2015: 15.33 ft, major flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2017: 10.73 ft, action stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2021: 11.33 ft, minor flooding; 1,320 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,314 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2025: 12.98 ft, minor flooding; 1,744 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.33 ft, Dec 7, 2015 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Johnson Creek near Sycamore 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 4 1960s: 4 1970s: 4 1980s: 7 1990s: 9 9 2000s: 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 3 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Johnson Creek near Sycamore
1Dec 7, 201515.33+4.33Major2,740
2Nov 19, 199615.30+4.30Major2,550
3Jan 2, 200914.69+3.69Major2,430
4Dec 22, 196414.68+3.68Major2,620
5Dec 1, 193714.50+3.50Major—
6Feb 7, 199614.28+3.28Major2,350
7Jan 12, 198014.03+3.03Major—
8Nov 11, 199514.00+3.00Major—
9Dec 13, 197713.89+2.89Moderate2,250
10Nov 24, 196013.78+2.78Moderate—
11Feb 10, 194913.77+2.77Moderate—
12Feb 20, 198213.66+2.66Moderate2,020
13Feb 1, 200313.24+2.24Moderate1,823
14Jan 4, 195613.23+2.23Moderate—
15Feb 24, 199413.21+2.21Moderate1,600
16Jan 19, 201213.21+2.21Moderate1,820
17Jan 7, 194813.06+2.06Moderate—
18Dec 19, 202512.98+1.98Minor1,744
19Jan 15, 197412.72+1.72Minor2,080
20Jan 21, 197212.70+1.70Minor1,910
21Nov 20, 196212.50+1.50Minor—
22Jan 15, 195612.30+1.30Minor—
23Jan 7, 196912.29+1.29Minor—
24Nov 1, 199412.26+1.26Minor1,300
25Jan 22, 195412.23+1.23Minor—
26Jan 1, 199712.17+1.17Minor1,400
27Feb 1, 198712.10+1.10Minor1,340
28Dec 21, 195512.07+1.07Minor—
29Dec 3, 198012.07+1.07Minor1,330
30Jan 1, 199612.06+1.06Minor—
31Dec 8, 199612.05+1.05Minor1,360
32Feb 6, 198612.01+1.01Minor—
33Jan 6, 198311.98+0.98Minor1,290
34Dec 3, 200711.90+0.90Minor1,330
35Dec 6, 198111.58+0.58Minor1,170
36Jan 13, 202111.33+0.33Minor1,320
37Dec 9, 202511.30+0.30Minor1,314
38Dec 14, 200311.28+0.28Minor1,146
39Dec 2, 197711.23+0.23Minor1,500
40Feb 20, 199111.23+0.23Minor1,130
41Feb 5, 201710.73−0.27Action1,200
42Dec 28, 199810.41−0.59Action950
43Nov 26, 19998.46−2.54Below flood stage664

The worst floods along the Johnson Creek

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

December 7, 2015: 15.33 ft here, major flooding

  • MilwaukieOR · Dec 8, 2015 · 31.30 ft · Minor · its highest
  • GreshamOR · Dec 7, 2015 · 11.82 ft · Minor · its highest

November 19, 1996: 15.30 ft here, major flooding

  • MilwaukieOR · Nov 19, 1996 · 30.30 ft · Minor

January 2, 2009: 14.69 ft here, major flooding

  • MilwaukieOR · Jan 2, 2009 · 30.78 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Johnson Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Johnson Creek
GreshamOR8.511.82 ft, Dec 7, 20150
Sycamore this gaugeOR11.015.33 ft, Dec 7, 20158
MilwaukieOR30.331.30 ft, Dec 8, 20150

Other gauges in Multnomah County

Flood gauges in Multnomah County
Troutdale10.013.56 ft, Dec 7, 20150
Glisan St near Gresham6.26.75 ft, Dec 7, 20150
56th Ave - Portland11.112.07 ft, Dec 7, 20150
Gresham8.511.82 ft, Dec 7, 20150
Portland18.033.00 ft, Jun 7, 18947

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SYCO3, 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.