South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow water level

Name: South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow 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, South Fork McKenzie River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:40 AM PDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 177 cfs
Water temperature: 45 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow: the gauge reads 3.28 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 3.26 ft – 3.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 45 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.06 ftDecember 22, 1964

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.06 ft	December 22, 1964

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 66° 44° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 62° 47° 0.02 in Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 74° 49° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 74° 49° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 60° 43° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 58° 35° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 71° 40° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:18 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork McKenzie River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork McKenzie River near RainbowRiver gauge, South Fork McKenzie River	346 cfs	Low	±0	6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cougar Dam Tailwater near RainbowRiver gauge, Cougar Dam Tailwater	1,251.62 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	5.9 mi
McKenzie River above South Fork, near RainbowRiver gauge, McKenzie River	8.02 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Blue River at Blue RiverRiver gauge, Blue River	184 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	10 mi
Nf Quartz Creek near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Nf Quartz Creek	1.0 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	11 mi
Lookout Creek near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Lookout Creek	7.7 cfs	Very low	±0	11 mi
Blue River below Tidbits Creek, near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Blue River	1.74 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	12 mi
McKenzie River near VidaRiver gauge, McKenzie River	0.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	14 mi
McKenzie River below Trail Branch Dam near Belknap SpringsRiver gauge, McKenzie River	536 cfs	Very low	−6.0 cfs	17 mi

Questions and answers

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 South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:40 AM PDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow?

The highest level on record is 20.06 ft on December 22, 1964.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14159200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.04707, -122.21782 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-20 16:40	Provisional
Flow	177 cfs	2026-10-20 16:40	Provisional
Water temperature	45 °F	2026-10-20 16:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork McKenzie River above Cougar Lake near Rainbow (usgs:14159200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/south-fork-mckenzie-river-above-cougar-lake-near-rainbow

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