John Day River near John Day, OR

River level and flood forecast · Grant County

Normal3.5 ftas of Mon 8 PM

The river is 4.5 ft below flood stage (8 ft).

Forecast to hold near 3.5 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 5 PM.

Flow: 63 cubic feet per second (USGS).

The last 7 days and the forecast

246810TueThuSatMonWedFriSunAction 7.5 ftFlood 8 ftModerate 9 ftNowObserved (ft)NWS forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:46 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Get flood alerts for this river

An email when the National Weather Service forecasts John Day River near John Day to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.

Free, no account. Email when the NWS forecasts this river to flood, when it floods, and when it's over. Every email has a stop link.

Flood stages

Major flood stage10.5 ft
Moderate flood stage9 ft
Flood stage8 ft
Action stage7.5 ft
Record crest (June 9, 1969)10.8 ft

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

  • 10.5 ftExtensive flooding of the lower west side of John Day.
  • 10 ftMajor field flooding wtih some homes flooded in the lower sections of John Day.
  • 9 ftAt this level, there will be extensive pasture and field flooding near the fairgrounds in John Day. Some homes near Bridge Street will be threatened. There will likely be backwater flooding upstream of Picture Gorge. There will be high water velocities with substantial bank erosion.
  • 8 ftMinor flooding of lowland fields and pastures throughout the valley.

Highest crests on record

  1. 10.8 ft — June 9, 1969
  2. 10.06 ft — January 31, 1997
  3. 9.16 ft — May 19, 1991
  4. 8.92 ft — January 17, 1971
  5. 8.6 ft — February 16, 1982

Recent crests: 8.5 ft (May 16, 2011) · 8.42 ft (January 17, 2011) · 10.06 ft (January 31, 1997) · 9.16 ft (May 19, 1991) · 8.6 ft (February 16, 1982)

Up and down the river, and nearby

Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (JHNO3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.