North Santiam River river
Total streamflow across the North Santiam River was last observed at 2,560 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 5,078 acre-ft of water today; about 34% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 7,437 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2025-12-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 63,000 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the North Santiam River At Mehama reporting a streamflow rate of 1,310 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the North Santiam River Near Jefferson with a gauge stage of 14.17 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the North Santiam River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,103 ft, the North Santiam River At Niagara.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the North Santiam River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the North Santiam River
All 3 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
North Santiam River At Niagara
OR
USGS 14181500
|
1,250 | 3.14 | 0.8 | 62% | 940 | 11,000 | 1,103 |
|
North Santiam River At Mehama
OR
USGS 14183000
|
1,310 | 3.41 | -2.2 | 49% | 937 | 39,500 | 609 |
|
North Santiam River Near Jefferson
OR
USGS 14184100
|
1,080 | 14.17 | -1.8 | 46% | 549 | 27,300 | 249 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
North Santiam River
The North Santiam River is a 92-mile river located in western Oregon, United States. The river was originally used by Native Americans for fishing and trading purposes. The river flows through the Cascade Range and is fed by numerous tributaries. The river has two major reservoirs, Detroit Lake and Big Cliff Reservoir, both of which were built in the mid-20th century for hydroelectric power generation and flood control. The North Santiam River is also used for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and swimming. The river is home to a variety of fish species, including Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and rainbow trout. The surrounding agricultural land is irrigated with water from the river, making it an important resource for the local farming communities.
Recreation along the North Santiam River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Paddle runs
- Confluence With North Fork Breitenbush River To Detroit Reservoir
- Highway 22 To Confluence With Rainbow Creek
- North Santiam River
- Opal Lake To Confluence With Battle Axe Creek
- Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Boundary To Confluence With Breitenbush River
- Packsaddle County Park To Mill City
Track the North Santiam River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the North Santiam River
Where does the data for the North Santiam River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.