How high is the John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR right now?

The John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR is currently flowing at 721 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 2.74 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as very low for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 8th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

What is the historical median flow for the John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 2,520 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 940 to 9,180 cfs.

Where is the John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR stream gauge located?

The John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Sherman County, OR on the John Day River. USGS site number 14048000 (coordinates 45.5876, -120.4095).

John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR

USGS Site No: 14048000 • John Day River • Sherman County, OR

John Day River at Mcdonald Ferry, OR on the John Day River is currently at 721 cfs (Very Low — 8th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 2.74 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

↑ Upstream on John Day River

John Day River at Service Creek, OR

721

CFS Discharge

2.74

Gage Height (ft)

Very Low

Flow Condition

N/A

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	940	Today: 721 cfs
25th	Low threshold	1,670
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	2,520
75th	High threshold	4,120
95th	Very High threshold	9,180

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	693	—
May 27, 2026	724	—
May 26, 2026	766	—
May 25, 2026	781	—
May 24, 2026	828	—
May 23, 2026	891	—
May 22, 2026	956	—
May 21, 2026	1,040	—
May 20, 2026	1,110	—
May 19, 2026	1,150	—
May 18, 2026	1,210	—
May 17, 2026	1,280	—
May 16, 2026	1,340	—
May 15, 2026	1,370	—
Apr 20, 2026	3,140	—
Apr 19, 2026	3,420	—
Apr 18, 2026	3,740	—
Apr 17, 2026	3,620	—
Apr 16, 2026	3,930	—
Apr 15, 2026	3,920	—
Apr 14, 2026	1,800	—
Apr 13, 2026	1,730	—
Apr 12, 2026	1,680	—
Apr 11, 2026	1,700	—
Apr 10, 2026	1,750	—
Apr 9, 2026	1,800	—
Apr 8, 2026	1,850	—
Apr 7, 2026	1,910	—
Apr 6, 2026	2,000	—
Apr 5, 2026	2,150	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 14048000
State: OR
County: Sherman County
Coordinates: 45.5876, -120.4095
Drainage Area: 7,580 mi²
Datum (ft): 392.3
HUC Code: 17070204

View on USGS NWIS →

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 6,200 cfs

Apr 22, 2025
Min discharge: 82 cfs

Sep 8, 2025

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Deschutes River at Moody, Near Biggs, OR
24.1 mi · 3,860 cfs

Very Low
Columbia River at The Dalles, OR
37.8 mi · 199,000 cfs

Very Low
Deschutes River at Sherars Bridge, OR
37.9 mi

Unknown
Klickitat River Near Pitt, WA
40.4 mi · 1,280 cfs

Low
White River Below Tygh Valley, OR
41.0 mi · 212 cfs

Low