Santiam River at Jefferson water level

Name: Santiam River at Jefferson 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, Santiam River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.80ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:15 AM PDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 2,220 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:42 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Santiam River at Jefferson reads 2.80 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.20 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.74 ft and 3.19 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.22 ftDecember 22, 1964
Forecast peak: 2.89 ftTuesday, October 27 at 05:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 12.20 ft away.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: flooding in Jefferson and the highway east of the river is possible, in addition to widespread flooding of lowlands and low lying roadways.
19.00 ft: expect widespread flooding of lowlands and agricultural areas, along with flooding of some secondary roads.
15.00 ft: expect widespread lowland and agricultural flooding. Some secondary roads in low lying areas will be flooded at this level.
13.00 ft: the river is at bankfull level at this point. There may be some areas where water is spilling over the banks near Jefferson.
2.80 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.22 ft	December 22, 1964
2	23.25 ft	February 7, 1996
3	22.55 ft	December 29, 1945
4	21.80 ft	January 7, 1948
5	21.30 ft	December 15, 1946
6	21.24 ft	January 1, 1943
7	20.90 ft	November 23, 1953
8	20.80 ft	November 24, 1942
9	20.60 ft	December 12, 1956
10	20.47 ft	January 21, 1972

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min First quarter 48%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Santiam River at Greens Bridge, near JeffersonRiver gauge, North Santiam River	1,160 cfs	Very low	−70.0 cfs	2.1 mi
Willamette River at AlbanyRiver gauge, Willamette River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	7 mi
Calapooia River at AlbanyRiver gauge, Calapooia River	18.9 cfs	Very low	±0	9 mi
Luckiamute River near SuverRiver gauge, Luckiamute River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Thomas Creek near ScioRiver gauge, Thomas Creek	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Lebanon Santiam Canal near LebanonCanal gauge, Lebanon Santiam Canal	75.0 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
Willamette River at CorvallisRiver gauge, Willamette River	10.09 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	16 mi
Willamette River at SalemRiver gauge, Willamette River	5.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Santiam River at Jefferson?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.20 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 Santiam River at Jefferson today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:15 AM PDT, the water level was 2.80 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Santiam River at Jefferson rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Santiam River at Jefferson normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 24.22 ft on December 22, 1964.

Is Santiam River at Jefferson expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 11:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14189000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.71472, -123.01425 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	2.80 ft	2026-10-18 09:15	Provisional
Flow	2,220 cfs	2026-10-18 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Santiam River at Jefferson (usgs:14189000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/santiam-river-at-jefferson

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