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.
For updates please subscribe to our newsletter!
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
USGS Oregon Water Science Center remembers the 1996 flood
USGS Oregon Water Science Center remembers the 1996 flood
Message from the Director—Oregon Water Science Center, Winter 2026 Newsletter
Message from the Director—Oregon Water Science Center, Winter 2026 Newsletter
Water data delivery changes and new features: real-time data, APIs, interactive maps, charts, and tables
Water data delivery changes and new features: real-time data, APIs, interactive maps, charts, and tables
Publications
Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps Post-wildfire water quality and aquatic ecosystem response in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: science and monitoring gaps
An increase in the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires in the western Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, has created an urgent need for science to better inform forest management and policy decisions to maintain source water quality in the region. The western PNW faces similar challenges to other regions with shifting wildfire regimes and large population centers reliant on surface...
Evaluating effectiveness of flocculation and wave-reduction barriers for restoration of a turbid, terminal lake Evaluating effectiveness of flocculation and wave-reduction barriers for restoration of a turbid, terminal lake
Malheur Lake is a freshwater, shallow lake that provides key habitat for birds along the Pacific Flyway in North America. The lake shifted to a turbid state in the 1990s with suspended-sediment concentrations sometimes exceeding 1000 mg/L and minimal light available in the water column for submerged aquatic vegetation. Resource managers intend to enhance bird habitat quality by restoring...
Science
Oregon Water Science Center's Malheur Lake Portfolio
USGS scientists have partnered with local groups to learn about the processes affecting turbidity in Malheur Lake. Located in southeastern Oregon, Malheur Lake and the surrounding refuge provide critical habitat to birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway.
Monitoring tire-derived chemicals in stormwater
The USGS, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and other state and federal agencies, is studying a contaminant called 6PPD-quinone.
Alluvial reach identification and hydrogeomorphic characterization of Oregon rivers
The USGS, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is developing an objective mapping framework to systematically identify alluvial reaches in 13 river basins across Oregon to support EPA and Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in their implementation of the Clean Water Act’s water temperature Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), as well as to support the...