North Santiam River at Mehama water level

Name: North Santiam River at Mehama water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, North Santiam River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.30ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:10 AM PDT (15 min ago)

Flow: 1,340 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.22 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:51 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at North Santiam River at Mehama, where the gauge shows 3.30 ft.

It is 7.70 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.22 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.26 ft – 3.57 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.50 ftJanuary 6, 1923
Forecast peak: 3.26 ftMonday, October 26 at 05:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: major flood stage, expect widespread flooding along the North Santiam River from Gates downstream to Stayton.
11.00 ft: expect minor flooding of low-lying areas along the North Santiam from Gates downstream to Stayton.
3.30 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.50 ft	January 6, 1923
2	17.50 ft	November 20, 1921
3	16.00 ft	April 1, 1931
4	15.37 ft	December 28, 1945
5	14.50 ft	March 18, 1932
6	13.55 ft	December 22, 1964
7	13.40 ft	February 7, 1996
8	12.11 ft	December 19, 2025
9	11.91 ft	January 21, 1972
10	11.70 ft	January 16, 2011

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 78° 47° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 78° 57° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 66° 44° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 58° 38° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 41° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 74° 46° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 75° 47° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the North Santiam River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Santiam River near Marion ForksRiver gauge, North Santiam River	9.43 ft	No reference yet	±0	35 mi
North Santiam River below Boulder Creek, near DetroitRiver gauge, North Santiam River	283 cfs	Very low	+4.0 cfs	26 mi
North Santiam River at NiagaraRiver gauge, North Santiam River	1,250 cfs	Low	−20.0 cfs	16 mi
North Santiam River at Greens Bridge, near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Santiam River	1,160 cfs	Very low	±0	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little North Santiam River near MehamaRiver gauge, Little North Santiam River	48.3 cfs	Low	±0	2.0 mi
Thomas Creek near ScioRiver gauge, Thomas Creek	3.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Little N Santiam River above Evans Creek, at ElkhornRiver gauge, Little N Santiam River	3.29 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Schafer Creek near LacombRiver gauge, Schafer Creek	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	14 mi
Bull Creek near WilhoitRiver gauge, Bull Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Big Cliff Dam Tailwater near NiagaraRiver gauge, Big Cliff Dam Tailwater	1,110.89 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Molalla River above Pc near WilhoitRiver gauge, Molalla River	1.44 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Detroit Dam Tailwater near DetroitRiver gauge, Detroit Dam Tailwater	1,200.79 ft	Normal	±0	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Santiam River at Mehama?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.70 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of North Santiam River at Mehama today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:10 AM PDT, the water level was 3.30 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Santiam River at Mehama rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Santiam River at Mehama normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Santiam River at Mehama?

The highest level on record is 17.50 ft on January 6, 1923.

Is North Santiam River at Mehama expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.22 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14183000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.78925, -122.61881 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.30 ft	2026-10-20 13:10	Provisional
Flow	1,340 cfs	2026-10-20 13:10	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Santiam River at Mehama (usgs:14183000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/north-santiam-river-at-mehama

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer