Willamette River river
Total streamflow across the Willamette River was last observed at 38,450 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 76,265 acre-ft of water today; about 58% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 65,931 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-04-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at 674,700 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Willamette River At Portland reporting a streamflow rate of 15,700 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Willamette River At Newberg with a gauge stage of 54.37 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Willamette River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 294 ft, the Willamette River At Harrisburg.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Willamette River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Willamette River
All 6 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Willamette River At Harrisburg
OR
USGS 14166000
|
5,730 | 2.64 | -1.6 | 77% | 3,240 | 71,300 | 294 |
|
Willamette River At Corvallis
OR
USGS 14171600
|
6,580 | 11.12 | 1.9 | 85% | 3,650 | 96,900 | 196 |
|
Willamette River At Albany
OR
USGS 14174000
|
6,860 | 4.01 | 0.6 | 75% | 3,640 | 97,700 | 174 |
|
Willamette River At Salem
OR
USGS 14191000
|
9,810 | 6.11 | 0.3 | 68% | 5,270 | 169,000 | 125 |
|
Willamette River At Newberg
OR
USGS 14197900
|
9,470 | 54.37 | -6.2 | 61% | 4,300 | 160,000 | 63 |
|
Willamette River At Portland
OR
USGS 14211720
|
15,700 | 4.84 | 2.9 | 79% | 49 | 167,000 | 10 |
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
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, running approximately 187 miles through western Oregon. The river has a rich history, having been home to several Native American tribes and having played a pivotal role in the region's settlement and industrialization. Today, the river is heavily utilized for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming, as well as agricultural purposes. Additionally, several reservoirs and dams have been constructed along the river, including the Detroit Dam and Foster Reservoir, which are used for hydroelectric power generation and flood control. The river's hydrology is characterized by seasonal variation in water levels and flow rates, with high flows in the winter and low flows in the summer. Despite some water quality concerns, efforts have been made to protect and restore the river's ecological health.
Recreation along the Willamette River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Willamette 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 Willamette River
Where does the data for the Willamette 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.