USGS Streamgage 14048000
John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR
John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR is USGS streamgage 14048000 in Oregon, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 17070204. It sits on the John Day River, alongside 3 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 7,580 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1894. Typical flow runs near 501 cfs in July and 4,974.3 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in April. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead, alongside daily high and low water-temperature forecasts.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- Oregon
- Drainage area
- 7,580 sq mi
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 17070204
- Coordinates
- 45.58763, -120.40949
- USGS site number
- 14048000
- Records begin
- 1894-01-01 (132 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook + water temperature
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 26.4 | 29.1 | ||
| 23.5 | 26.7 | 31.5 | ||
| 24.4 | 29.7 | 41.7 | ||
| 25.4 | 32.9 | 56.9 | ||
| 26.3 | 36.4 | 79.6 | ||
| 27 | 38.8 | 90.6 | ||
| 26.6 | 39.1 | 97.3 | ||
| 25.6 | 38.3 | 101 | ||
| 25 | 37.7 | 108 | ||
| 24.2 | 36.9 | 108 | ||
| 23.5 | 36 | 106 | ||
| 23.3 | 36.7 | 117 | ||
| 23.3 | 37.8 | 128 | ||
| 22.9 | 37.2 | 126 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.
Typical flow by month
Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 121 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 431.5 | 951.7 | 3,628.1 | |
| February | 615.8 | 1,730.7 | 5,591 | |
| March | 1,257.8 | 3,036.5 | 7,951.9 | |
| April | 2,291.3 | 4,974.3 | 10,032 | |
| May | 1,993.5 | 4,485.5 | 9,350.6 | |
| June | 766.1 | 2,187 | 5,245.7 | |
| July | 161.3 | 501 | 1,321.5 | |
| August | 34.9 | 140 | 387.8 | |
| September | 45 | 130.8 | 344 | |
| October | 163.5 | 294.1 | 522.2 | |
| November | 296.4 | 452.9 | 948.6 | |
| December | 333.8 | 631 | 2,295.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR normally run highest?
- April, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 4,974.3 cfs, against 130.8 cfs in September, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
- What is a normal flow for John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 951.7 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 431.5 and 3,628.1 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 14048000 begin in 1894, about 132 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR?
- Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. A companion model forecasts each day's water-temperature high and low. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
- Where is John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR?
- The gauge sits at 45.58763, -120.40949, in Oregon, in hydrologic subbasin 17070204, draining roughly 7,580 square miles.
- Can I use John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR data for flood or safety decisions?
- No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.
Upstream and downstream on the John Day River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the John Day River in full.
- John Day River at Blue Mtn Hot Springs near Prairie City, OR 40 sq mi
- John Day River near John Day, OR 386 sq mi
- John Day River at Service Creek, OR 5,090 sq mi
- John Day River at McDonald Ferry, OR this page