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
Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers that are Tapped for Drinking Water Supply
Cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range Rivers that are Tapped for Drinking Water Supply
Water-quality monitor at the OMSI dock is live for the 2025 season
Water-quality monitor at the OMSI dock is live for the 2025 season
New data products now available in StreamStats
New data products now available in StreamStats
Publications
Managing water for birds—A tool for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Oregon
The “Water for Birds Tool” is a spreadsheet-based tool (using Microsoft Excel) designed to help resource managers assess the spatial extent and types of bird habitats in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Oregon. The tool quantifies the areas of open water, partial water, and water depths on a monthly timescale during the irrigation season (April–July) from 2021 to 2024...
Inferring snowpack contributions and the mean elevation of source water to streamflow in the Willamette River, Oregon using water stable isotopes
Snowpacks are an important water source for mountainous rivers, worldwide. The timing and volume of streamflow in systems reliant on snowmelt can be affected by changes in snow accumulation and melt time. In the Cascade Range (western USA), seasonal snowpacks are predicted to decrease by over 50% within the next century. During the last decade, Cascade Range snowpacks have varied between...
Reservoir and riverine sources of cyanotoxins in Oregon’s Cascade Range rivers tapped for municipal drinking water supply
Reservoirs and downstream rivers draining Oregon’s Cascade Range provide critical water supplies for over 1.5 million residents in dozens of communities. These waters also support planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria that produce cyanotoxins that may degrade water quality for drinking, recreation, aquatic life, and other beneficial uses. This 2016–2020 survey examined the sources and...
Science
Modeling distributions of native Western Pearlshell and Western Ridged Mussels in the Willamette River Basin, western Oregon
The U.S. Geological Survey is working with Tribal, federal, state, and non-profit partners to understand and predict where native Western Pearlshell and Western Ridged mussels are found in the Willamette River Basin. Freshwater mussels provide critical ecosystem services to people but are imperiled world-wide. Findings will support freshwater mussel management and conservation in the Willamette...
Lake Washington Ship Canal Sustainable Rivers Project
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are refining a water quality model to better understand temperature and salinity dynamics in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. This effort is supported by the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership between the USACE and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
Evaluating sediment transport in Chicken Creek
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is evaluating how the newly restored meandering channel on Chicken Creek affects sediment transport within the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge.