Oregon · Mill City, OR

North Santiam River float season

Gauge 14183000 on the Packsaddle Park through Mill City to Mehama. Cold dam-fed water through a mossy canyon below Mill City, a raft-and-driftboat favorite that keeps running when everything else drops out in late summer.

raftkayakdriftboat Fullest: Nov–Jan Leanest: Jul–Sep
North Santiam River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 750 3k 7.5k 10k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

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Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for North Santiam River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Mill City gauge, the North Santiam River runs fullest Nov–Jan and leanest Jul–Sep. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past January days at this gauge ran above 4,350 CFS; the August median is 1,060 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 4,350
February 2,990
March 2,860
April 3,255
May 3,520
June 2,165
July 1,240
August 1,060
September 1,580
October 2,300
November 3,860
December 4,290

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1906 — 120 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 58,800 CFS, in December 1946. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Oregon float rivers

Common questions

When is the North Santiam River usually at its fullest?

At the Mill City gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Nov–Jan, with the single highest monthly median in January (about 4,350 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the North Santiam River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,240 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.

Is the North Santiam River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 110 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 14183000 (NORTH SANTIAM RIVER AT MEHAMA, OR), chosen because it best represents the Packsaddle Park through Mill City to Mehama. Daily records here reach back to 1906.

Data: USGS gauge 14183000, approved daily records 1906–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.