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Willamette River at Corvallis

Highest listed crest 42.40 ftFlood stage 30.0 ft25 crests since 1861

The Willamette River at Corvallis crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1861 to 2019. The highest, 42.40 ft on December 1, 1861, was major flooding, 12.40 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Willamette River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.40 ft
December 1, 1861
Flood stage
30.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
6
10th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
April 10, 2019
32.84 ft, minor flooding
Location
Benton County
Near Corvallis (1.1 mi), Albany (8.9 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Willamette River at Corvallis
Action stage26.02Feb 17, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)30.04Apr 10, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage33.012Feb 9, 1996Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.06Dec 24, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 1861 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Willamette River at Corvallis, 1861 to 2019 2530354045ft Flood stage 30.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Dec 1, 1861: 42.40 ft, major floodingJan 2, 1943: 38.10 ft, major floodingDec 29, 1945: 38.20 ft, major floodingDec 15, 1946: 35.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 8, 1948: 36.80 ft, major floodingFeb 23, 1948: 33.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 13, 1948: 34.10 ft, moderate floodingOct 30, 1950: 35.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 19, 1953: 36.20 ft, major floodingDec 23, 1955: 34.80 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 1961: 35.90 ft, moderate floodingDec 24, 1964: 36.00 ft, major floodingJan 18, 1971: 35.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1972: 33.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1974: 34.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 4, 1980: 33.80 ft, moderate floodingDec 7, 1981: 34.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 1996: 33.50 ft, moderate floodingNov 21, 1996: 32.70 ft, minor floodingJan 1, 1997: 31.63 ft, minor floodingJan 19, 2006: 30.65 ft, minor flooding; 82,477 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2010: 25.20 ft, below flood stage; 56,400 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2012: 28.90 ft, action stage; 76,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2014: 27.37 ft, action stage; 67,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2019: 32.84 ft, minor flooding; 99,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 42.40 ft, Dec 1, 1861 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Willamette River at Corvallis 1860s: 1 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 6 6 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Willamette River at Corvallis
1Dec 1, 186142.40+12.40Major—
2Dec 29, 194538.20+8.20Major—
3Jan 2, 194338.10+8.10Major—
4Jan 8, 194836.80+6.80Major—
5Jan 19, 195336.20+6.20Major—
6Dec 24, 196436.00+6.00Major—
7Feb 11, 196135.90+5.90Moderate—
8Dec 15, 194635.60+5.60Moderate—
9Jan 18, 197135.40+5.40Moderate—
10Oct 30, 195035.20+5.20Moderate—
11Dec 7, 198134.90+4.90Moderate—
12Dec 23, 195534.80+4.80Moderate—
13Dec 13, 194834.10+4.10Moderate—
14Jan 17, 197434.00+4.00Moderate—
15Dec 4, 198033.80+3.80Moderate—
16Mar 3, 197233.50+3.50Moderate—
17Feb 9, 199633.50+3.50Moderate—
18Feb 23, 194833.20+3.20Moderate—
19Apr 10, 201932.84+2.84Minor99,000
20Nov 21, 199632.70+2.70Minor—
21Jan 1, 199731.63+1.63Minor—
22Jan 19, 200630.65+0.65Minor82,477
23Jan 20, 201228.90−1.10Action76,600
24Feb 17, 201427.37−2.63Action67,900
25Jun 6, 201025.20−4.80Below flood stage56,400

The worst floods along the Willamette River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Willamette River that crested above flood stage within a week.

December 1, 1861: 42.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Falls at Oregon CityOR · Dec 5, 1861 · 48.00 ft · Major
  • SalemOR · Dec 4, 1861 · 47.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • AlbanyOR · Dec 4, 1861 · 41.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • HarrisburgOR · Dec 4, 1861 · 23.00 ft · Major · its highest

December 29, 1945: 38.20 ft here, major flooding

January 2, 1943: 38.10 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Willamette River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Willamette River
EugeneOR23.024.80 ft, Feb 10, 19610
HarrisburgOR14.023.00 ft, Dec 4, 18616
Corvallis this gaugeOR30.042.40 ft, Dec 1, 18616
AlbanyOR25.041.00 ft, Dec 4, 18612
SalemOR28.047.00 ft, Dec 4, 18617
Falls at Oregon CityOR64.071.30 ft, Feb 5, 199010
Falls at Oregon CityOR27.050.50 ft, Feb 5, 18906
PortlandOR18.033.00 ft, Jun 7, 18947

Other gauges in Benton County

Flood gauges in Benton County
Monroe9.010.42 ft, Jan 15, 19740
Philomath20.021.53 ft, Jan 19, 20121

Benton County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oregon

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CORO3, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.