Oregon Water Science Center
Welcome to the USGS in Oregon. Our mission is to explore the natural world around us and provide reliable scientific information to help Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and the public make well-informed decisions. Our research is widely used to manage Oregon's water resources for the benefit and safety of people and the environment.
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Live Stream Conditions
Live Stream Conditions
See what is happening in streams near you. View real-time stream data for streams around Oregon.
Relevant Information
Relevant Information
See what the USGS is doing locally.
News
The Oregon Water Science Center receives Portland State University’s 2026 Public Impact Partner Award
The Oregon Water Science Center receives Portland State University’s 2026 Public Impact Partner Award
Message from the Director - Oregon Water Science Center, Summer 2026
Message from the Director - Oregon Water Science Center, Summer 2026
Updates to the Upper Klamath and Harney Basin interactive data mappers
Updates to the Upper Klamath and Harney Basin interactive data mappers
Publications
Updates to the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Ballard Locks model, Seattle, Washington, 2016–20 Updates to the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Ballard Locks model, Seattle, Washington, 2016–20
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks or Locks) and Lake Washington Ship Canal connect freshwater Lake Washington with saline Shilshole Bay of Puget Sound. The Locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and serve commercial and recreational vessels. Anadromous salmonids migrate through the canal by making use of a fish ladder at the Locks. To help understand...
Nutritional content of phytoplankton communities under ice Nutritional content of phytoplankton communities under ice
The effects of winter environmental conditions on lake ecology can be highly variable. Ice and overlying snow isolate the water below, impeding exchange of materials among water, atmosphere, and the watershed. Even with these limitations, biological communities under the ice can persist, where cold tolerant taxa can be especially abundant. Because many under-ice taxa tend to have a suite...
Science
Water temperature modeling in the Willamette Valley
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors, studies, and models water temperature to better understand how dam releases affect stream temperature and flow.
Geospatial Data Collection in the Willamette River Basin
A USGS geospatial data collection initiative in Oregon’s Willamette River Basin uses advanced remote sensing and on‑the‑ground measurements to map major rivers draining the Cascade Range. This work helps track how changing water resources and river channel conditions affect a wide array of water‑management needs, river hazards, recreational users, and habitat for ESA-listed spring Chinook salmon...
Integrated Water Science Basins: Willamette River
The Willamette River Basin reflects the conflicting water demands between humans and ecosystems—particularly salmon— and the challenge resource managers face throughout the Pacific Northwest.