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Willamette River below Falls at Oregon City — water level right now

Clackamas County, Oregon · NWS gauge ORCO3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
27
minor flood stage
 
50.5
record crest
set 1890-02-05
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 25
minor · 27
moderate · 35
major · 40
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage40extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage35some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage27low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage25water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
150.51890-02-05+23.5 above
248.11964-12-25+21.1 above
3481861-12-05+21 above
447.81923-01-09+20.8 above
546.041996-02-09+19.04 above
642.51943-01-03+15.5 above
739.41955-12-24+12.4 above
839.31965-01-30+12.3 above
939.11953-01-22+12.1 above
1039.11948-01-10+12.1 above
1138.31974-01-18+11.3 above
12381946-12-17+11 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Willamette River above Falls at Oregon City 1 mi away · loading… Clackamas River near Oregon City 2 mi away · loading… Tualatin River at West Linn 3 mi away · loading… Abernethy Creek at Mompano Reservoir 6 mi away · loading… Willamette River at Canby Ferry near Canby 6 mi away · loading… Johnson Creek at Milwaukie 7 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDORCO3
USGS site14207770
CountyClackamas
StateOregon
NWS forecast officePortland
River forecast centerNorthwest River Forecast Center
Coordinates45.358, -122.61
Time zonePST8PDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Willamette River below Falls at Oregon City

Is Willamette River below Falls at Oregon City flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 27 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Willamette River below Falls at Oregon City?

major flood stage 40 ft, moderate flood stage 35 ft, minor flood stage 27 ft, action stage 25 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Willamette River below Falls at Oregon City?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 50.5 ft, reached on 1890-02-05 — that is 23.5 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Portland and local emergency management.