Summary
Total streamflow across the
Nehalem River
was last observed at
1,375
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
2,727
acre-ft of water today; about 27%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
5,092 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2021-01-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at
36,790 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Nehalem River Near Foss
reporting a streamflow rate of 1,310 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Nehalem River, with a gauge stage of
4.68 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Nehalem River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 681 ft, the
Nehalem River Near Vernonia.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-04 |
| Discharge Volume | 2,727 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
1,375.1 cfs
-263.6 cfs (-16.09%) |
| Percent of Normal | 27.01% |
| Maximum |
36,790.0 cfs
2021-01-13 |
| Seasonal Avg | 5,092 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nehalem River Near Vernonia
USGS 14299800 |
65 cfs | 4.55 ft | -5.24 | |||||
|
Nehalem River Near Foss
USGS 14301000 |
1310 cfs | 4.68 ft | -16.56 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Nehalem River is a river on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon in the United States, approximately 119 miles (192 km) long. It drains part of the Northern Oregon Coast Range northwest of Portland, originating on the east side of the mountains and flowing in a loop around the north end of the range near the mouth of the Columbia River. Its watershed of 855 square miles (2,210 km2) includes an important timber-producing region of Oregon that was the site of the Tillamook Burn. In its upper reaches it flows through a long narrow valley of small mountain communities but is unpopulated along most of its lower reaches inland from the coast. The city where the river flows into the Pacific is also used as the name for CPU manufacturing titan Intel's first-generation line of Core processors.It rises in the northeast corner of Tillamook County, in the Tillamook State Forest. It initially flows northeast, across the northwest corner of Washington County and into western Columbia County, past Vernonia where it receives Rock Creek, it hooks to the northwest and west into Clatsop County, then flows southwest back into northern Tillamook County. It enters Nehalem Bay on the Pacific in an estuary at Nehalem, about 70 miles (110 km) west-northwest of Portland. Near its mouth on the Pacific, the river passes under U.S. Route 101.
It receives the Salmonberry River from the east in northern Tillamook County. It also receives the North Fork Nehalem River 25 miles (40 km) from the north about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Nehalem, just before entering Nehalem Bay.
In 2007, a major storm caused the Salmonberry Bridge (located at 45.7499°N 123.6528°W / 45.7499; -123.6528 (Salmonberry Bridge)) to collapse. The bridge was rebuilt and opened to traffic on May 14, 2012.