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Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam

Highest listed crest 15.70 ftFlood stage 6.6 ft47 crests since 1952

The Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 47 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1952 to 2025. The highest, 15.70 ft on April 15, 1952, was major flooding, 9.10 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.70 ft
April 15, 1952; 22,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.6 ft
Major flooding from 11.8 ft
Crests at major
5
17th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2025
7.94 ft, minor flooding
Location
Malheur County
Oregon

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam
Action stage3.91Jun 6, 1980The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.69Mar 14, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.76Apr 2, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.85Feb 25, 1986Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

47 crests from 1952 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam, 1952 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 6.6 ftMajor 11.8 ft Apr 15, 1952: 15.70 ft, major flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1972: 12.70 ft, major flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1980: 6.38 ft, action stage; 2,970 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1981: 1.96 ft, below flood stage; 211 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1982: 10.94 ft, moderate flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 11.80 ft, major flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1984: 14.60 ft, major flooding; 19,325 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1985: 8.49 ft, minor flooding; 5,810 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1986: 15.10 ft, major flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1986: 2.20 ft, below flood stage; 270 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1987: 2.05 ft, below flood stage; 207 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1989: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,820 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1990: 2.28 ft, below flood stage; 273 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1991: 2.14 ft, below flood stage; 234 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1992: 2.01 ft, below flood stage; 178 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1993: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1994: 2.30 ft, below flood stage; 274 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1995: 11.76 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1996: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 6,580 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1997: 11.03 ft, moderate flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1998: 11.36 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1999: 7.03 ft, minor flooding; 3,560 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2000: 2.29 ft, below flood stage; 280 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2000: 2.23 ft, below flood stage; 250 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2002: 1.96 ft, below flood stage; 211 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2004: 2.01 ft, below flood stage; 223 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2005: 2.05 ft, below flood stage; 233 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2006: 11.63 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2007: 2.28 ft, below flood stage; 260 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2008: 2.31 ft, below flood stage; 232 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2009: 2.26 ft, below flood stage; 224 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2010: 2.28 ft, below flood stage; 224 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2011: 11.30 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2012: 2.23 ft, below flood stage; 284 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2013: 2.12 ft, below flood stage; 219 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2014: 1.92 ft, below flood stage; 172 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2015: 1.85 ft, below flood stage; 179 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2016: 2.02 ft, below flood stage; 214 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2017: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 5,270 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2018: 1.95 ft, below flood stage; 208 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2019: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2020: 2.19 ft, below flood stage; 259 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2021: 2.06 ft, below flood stage; 189 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 2022: 1.97 ft, below flood stage; 203 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2023: 2.03 ft, below flood stage; 211 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2024: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,870 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2025: 7.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.70 ft, Apr 15, 1952 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 6 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 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, Owyhee River at Owyhee Dam
1Apr 15, 195215.70+9.10Major22,900
2Feb 25, 198615.10+8.50Major20,900
3Apr 17, 198414.60+8.00Major19,325
4Apr 3, 197212.70+6.10Major14,000
5Apr 16, 198311.80+5.20Major12,000
6May 21, 199511.76+5.16Moderate11,700
7Apr 9, 200611.63+5.03Moderate11,800
8May 14, 199811.36+4.76Moderate10,800
9Apr 2, 201111.30+4.70Moderate11,000
10Apr 24, 199711.03+4.43Moderate9,880
11Feb 23, 198210.94+4.34Moderate9,220
12Apr 10, 202410.60+4.00Minor7,870
13Apr 3, 19899.56+2.96Minor7,820
14Apr 2, 19969.33+2.73Minor6,580
15Apr 10, 19858.49+1.89Minor5,810
16Apr 29, 20178.29+1.69Minor5,270
17Mar 28, 19938.27+1.67Minor5,180
18May 31, 20198.18+1.58Minor5,110
19Mar 14, 20257.94+1.34Minor4,360
20Apr 20, 19997.03+0.43Minor3,560
21Jun 6, 19806.38−0.22Action2,970
22May 20, 20082.31−4.29Below flood stage232
23Jul 9, 19942.30−4.30Below flood stage274
24Apr 28, 20002.29−4.31Below flood stage280
25Jun 24, 19902.28−4.32Below flood stage273
26Mar 26, 20072.28−4.32Below flood stage260
27Apr 20, 20102.28−4.32Below flood stage224
28Apr 22, 20092.26−4.34Below flood stage224
29Oct 12, 20002.23−4.37Below flood stage250
30Apr 24, 20122.23−4.37Below flood stage284
31Dec 1, 19862.20−4.40Below flood stage270
32Feb 23, 20202.19−4.41Below flood stage259
33Jul 19, 19912.14−4.46Below flood stage234
34Feb 28, 20132.12−4.48Below flood stage219
35Aug 10, 20212.06−4.54Below flood stage189
36Oct 10, 19872.05−4.55Below flood stage207
37Apr 17, 20052.05−4.55Below flood stage233
38Aug 23, 20232.03−4.57Below flood stage211
39Jul 2, 20162.02−4.58Below flood stage214
40Apr 1, 19922.01−4.59Below flood stage178
41Aug 24, 20042.01−4.59Below flood stage223
42Aug 4, 20221.97−4.63Below flood stage203
43May 11, 19811.96−4.64Below flood stage211
44Apr 9, 20021.96−4.64Below flood stage211
45Apr 27, 20181.95−4.65Below flood stage208
46Jun 9, 20141.92−4.68Below flood stage172
47Jun 23, 20151.85−4.75Below flood stage179

Other gauges in Malheur County

Flood gauges in Malheur County
Vale19.524.58 ft, Feb 24, 19574

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OWYO3, 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.