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WILLIAMSON RIVER

River Levels • Streamflow • Hydrology

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Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Williamson River Blw Sprague River Nr Chiloquin reporting a streamflow rate of 2,760 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Williamson River, with a gauge stage of 5.7 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Williamson River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,494 ft, the Williamson River Near Klamath Agency.

The Williamson River is a tributary of the Klamath River located in Oregon, USA. It is approximately 100 miles long and has a drainage area of 1,370 square miles. The river is named after Robert Williamson, a member of John C. Fremont's 1843 expedition. The river's hydrology is characterized by cold, clear water and abundant fish populations, including native redband trout. The Upper and Lower Klamath Lake Reservoirs on the river were created by dams for irrigation and flood control purposes. The Upper Klamath Lake Reservoir is also home to the largest freshwater fishery in Oregon. Recreational activities on the Williamson River include fishing, kayaking, and camping. The river also plays a significant role in the agricultural industry, providing water for crops and livestock.

January 8, 2025

History of the River

The Williamson River of south-central Oregon in the United States is about 100 miles (160 km) long. It drains about 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2) east of the Cascade Range. Together with its principal tributary, the Sprague River, it provides over half the inflow to Upper Klamath Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Oregon. The lake's outlet is the Link River, which flows into Lake Ewauna and the Klamath River.The Williamson rises from a large spring in central Klamath County, on the north side of Fuego Mountain, in the Winema National Forest, about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Klamath Falls (nicknamed "Root Beer Falls because the water is laden with nutrients carried from the Klamath Marsh a few miles upstream" and "Foam that builds up at the base of the falls gives the appearance of a root beer float". ). It flows in a large arc north through the mountains, then west, then southwest through Klamath Marsh and the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Downstream of the refuge, the river flows roughly parallel to U.S. Route 97, receiving Spring Creek from the right at Collier Memorial State Park, about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Chiloquin. At Chiloquin, it receives the Sprague River from the left at about river mile (RM) 11 or river kilometer (RK) 18. The Williamson enters the northern end of Upper Klamath Lake near Modoc Point, about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Klamath Falls.At lower elevations along big streams, the Williamson watershed supports irrigated pastures and other farmlands. Livestock grazing occurs in many locations in the basin. Forests, often cut for timber, cover about 81 percent of the basin and farms account for 6 percent, while range, wetlands, water, and urban areas cover a combined 13 percent. Precipitation in the basin, which lies in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, averages 23 inches (580 mm) a year along the Williamson above its confluence with the Sprague and about 20 inches (510 mm) along the Sprague.The Williamson is known for especially large wild Great Basin redband trout, which move into the river to spawn and to escape Upper Klamath Lake when it gets warm. Three-year-old fish "commonly reach 20 inches or better." Smaller numbers of brown trout also thrive in the Williamson, especially below Spring Creek. Lost River suckers also populate the river but are protected and cannot be caught and kept legally. Smaller rainbow trout and brook trout live in the river above Klamath Marsh. Much of the land along the river is privately owned, and public access is limited.Since 2003, The Nature Conservancy and other organizations have been working to restore about 12 square miles (31 km2) of wetlands in the Williamson River delta at the north end of Upper Klamath Lake. Formerly diked and drained for farming, the delta provides habitat for millions of migrating birds as well as many native species of fish, mollusks, and aquatic plants.