McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs water level

Name: McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs 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, McKenzie River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2,094.18ft

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 08:00 AM PDT (5 days ago)

Flow: 190 cfs
Water temperature: 42 °F

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

The McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs is at 2,094.18 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 42 °F.

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

Floating and fishing near McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 47° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 78° 53° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 57° 44° 0.24 in Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 53° 31° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 65° 37° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 68° 44° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 70° 44° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the McKenzie River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
McKenzie River at Outlet of Clear LakeRiver gauge, McKenzie River	114 cfs	Very low	−1.0 cfs	5.5 mi
McKenzie River below Trail Branch Dam near Belknap SpringsRiver gauge, McKenzie River	530 cfs	Very low	−12.0 cfs	1.4 mi
McKenzie River above South Fork, near RainbowRiver gauge, McKenzie River	8.01 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	14 mi
McKenzie River near VidaRiver gauge, McKenzie River	0.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
McKenzie River below Leaburg Dam, near LeaburgRiver gauge, McKenzie River	1,670 cfs	Normal	−10.0 cfs	31 mi
McKenzie River near WaltervilleRiver gauge, McKenzie River	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	39 mi
McKenzie River near CoburgRiver gauge, McKenzie River	1,770 cfs	Low	+60.0 cfs	51 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smith River above Trail Bridge Reservoir near Belknap SpringsRiver gauge, Smith River	4.1 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	0.6 mi
Smith River above Smith R Reservoir, near Belknap SprngsRiver gauge, Smith River	2.8 cfs	Very low	±0	3.4 mi
Lookout Creek near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Lookout Creek	7.7 cfs	Very low	±0	12 mi
Blue River below Tidbits Creek, near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Blue River	1.75 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	12 mi
South Fork McKenzie River near RainbowRiver gauge, South Fork McKenzie River	341 cfs	Low	−5.0 cfs	15 mi
Cougar Dam Tailwater near RainbowRiver gauge, Cougar Dam Tailwater	1,251.62 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Nf Quartz Creek near Blue RiverRiver gauge, Nf Quartz Creek	1.0 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	15 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 McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 08:00 AM PDT, the water level was 2,094.18 ft.

Is the level of McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs normal?

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

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:14158740 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.28639, -122.03681 (WGS84)
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	2,094.18 ft	2026-10-16 15:00	Provisional
Flow	190 cfs	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Water temperature	42 °F	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: McKenzie River below Payne Creek, near Belknap Springs (usgs:14158740). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/mckenzie-river-below-payne-creek-near-belknap-springs

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