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John Day River at Service Creek — water level right now

Wheeler County, Oregon · NWS gauge SERO3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
11.5
minor flood stage
 
17.85
record crest
set 1964-12-23
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 10
minor · 11.5
moderate · 12.5
major · 15
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage15extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12.5some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage11.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage10water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
117.851964-12-23+6.35 above
216.491997-01-01+4.99 above
316.192019-04-10+4.69 above
415.51952-03-26+4 above
515.22011-05-17+3.7 above
615.11956-05-08+3.6 above
714.651982-02-21+3.15 above
814.591970-01-24+3.09 above
914.11945-12-29+2.6 above
1014.021996-02-09+2.52 above
1113.722011-01-17+2.22 above
1213.632020-05-21+2.13 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

North Fork John Day River near Monument 28 mi away · loading… John Day River near John Day 60 mi away · loading… Deschutes River (OR) at Moody 72 mi away · loading… Silvies River near Burns 85 mi away · loading… Umatilla River at Pendleton 85 mi away · loading… Burnt River below Unity Reservoir 92 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSERO3
USGS site14046500
CountyWheeler
StateOregon
NWS forecast officePendleton
River forecast centerNorthwest River Forecast Center
Coordinates44.794, -120.007
Time zonePST8PDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about John Day River at Service Creek

Is John Day River at Service Creek flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 11.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for John Day River at Service Creek?

major flood stage 15 ft, moderate flood stage 12.5 ft, minor flood stage 11.5 ft, action stage 10 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at John Day River at Service Creek?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 17.85 ft, reached on 1964-12-23 — that is 6.35 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Pendleton and local emergency management.