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Malheur River at Vale

Highest listed crest 24.58 ftFlood stage 19.5 ft35 crests since 1951

The Malheur River at Vale crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1951 to 2025. The highest, 24.58 ft on February 24, 1957, was major flooding, 5.08 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.58 ft
February 24, 1957; 21,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.5 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
4
25th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
February 25, 2025
23.55 ft, major flooding
Location
Malheur County
Near Ontario (12.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Malheur River at Vale
Action stage19.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.52Jan 3, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.06Apr 12, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.04Feb 25, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1951 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Malheur River at Vale, 1951 to 2025 10152025ft Flood stage 19.5 ftMajor 23.0 ft Feb 8, 1951: 20.06 ft, minor flooding; 8,520 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1952: 21.23 ft, moderate flooding; 9,360 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1957: 24.58 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1982: 23.80 ft, major flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1983: 21.09 ft, moderate flooding; 8,980 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1993: 23.31 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1996: 18.59 ft, below flood stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1996: 18.59 ft, below flood stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 20.46 ft, minor flooding; 6,870 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1998: 15.94 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1999: 18.44 ft, below flood stage; 4,600 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2000: 15.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 2001: 11.86 ft, below flood stage; 301 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2006: 22.05 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2006: 12.28 ft, below flood stage; 355 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2007: 12.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,421 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2009: 13.26 ft, below flood stage; 692 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 2010: 15.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2011: 22.58 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2012: 13.51 ft, below flood stage; 696 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2013: 17.37 ft, below flood stage; 2,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2014: 17.84 ft, below flood stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2014: 11.90 ft, below flood stage; 208 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2016: 18.56 ft, below flood stage; 3,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2017: 21.23 ft, moderate flooding; 5,700 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2017: 12.79 ft, below flood stage; 484 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 2017: 11.55 ft, below flood stage; 189 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2018: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 183 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2019: 16.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2019: 12.53 ft, below flood stage; 419 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 2020: 12.14 ft, below flood stage; 323 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2021: 12.35 ft, below flood stage; 361 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2023: 21.56 ft, moderate flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2024: 15.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,770 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2025: 23.55 ft, major flooding; 11,264 cubic feet per second Highest, 24.58 ft, Feb 24, 1957 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Malheur River at Vale 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 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, Malheur River at Vale
1Feb 24, 195724.58+5.08Major21,000
2Feb 22, 198223.80+4.30Major16,300
3Feb 25, 202523.55+4.05Major11,264
4Mar 19, 199323.31+3.81Major16,000
5Jan 18, 201122.58+3.08Moderate11,500
6Jan 1, 200622.05+2.55Moderate10,200
7Apr 12, 202321.56+2.06Moderate5,630
8Mar 26, 195221.23+1.73Moderate9,360
9Feb 22, 201721.23+1.73Moderate5,700
10Mar 5, 198321.09+1.59Moderate8,980
11Jan 3, 199720.46+0.96Minor6,870
12Feb 8, 195120.06+0.56Minor8,520
13Jan 9, 199618.59−0.91Below flood stage5,140
14Feb 9, 199618.59−0.91Below flood stage5,140
15Feb 16, 201618.56−0.94Below flood stage3,100
16Mar 2, 199918.44−1.06Below flood stage4,600
17Feb 13, 201417.84−1.66Below flood stage2,960
18Sep 4, 201317.37−2.13Below flood stage2,860
19Mar 25, 201916.45−3.05Below flood stage1,960
20Apr 16, 202415.99−3.51Below flood stage1,770
21May 28, 199815.94−3.56Below flood stage2,500
22Aug 7, 201015.21−4.29Below flood stage1,560
23Apr 17, 200015.16−4.34Below flood stage2,030
24Jul 23, 201213.51−5.99Below flood stage696
25Jun 7, 200913.26−6.24Below flood stage692
26Oct 16, 201712.79−6.71Below flood stage484
27Nov 1, 201912.53−6.97Below flood stage419
28Nov 1, 200712.49−7.01Below flood stage1,421
29Oct 28, 202112.35−7.15Below flood stage361
30Nov 1, 200612.28−7.22Below flood stage355
31Oct 21, 202012.14−7.36Below flood stage323
32Nov 3, 201411.90−7.60Below flood stage208
33Oct 29, 200111.86−7.64Below flood stage301
34Oct 20, 201711.55−7.95Below flood stage189
35Sep 3, 201811.52−7.98Below flood stage183

Other gauges in Malheur County

Flood gauges in Malheur County
Owyhee Dam6.615.70 ft, Apr 15, 19525

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VALO3, 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.