Powder River Basin – Streamflow & Reservoir Gages

About the Powder River Basin

The Powder Basin, as defined by the Oregon Water Resources Department, covers the Powder and Burnt rivers of northeast Oregon, which drain the Blue, Elkhorn and Wallowa mountains southeast to Brownlee Reservoir on the Snake River, plus Eagle and Pine creeks and the Oregon shore of the Snake above Hells Canyon. Snowmelt fills the rivers in spring, and most summer water is stored and diverted for hay and pasture in the Baker, Powder and Burnt river valleys. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Baker Project stores water in Phillips Lake (Mason Dam) and Thief Valley Reservoir, and its Burnt River Project in Unity Reservoir; all three are popular for fishing and camping. River Flow Planner covers 14 gages here: the Powder River from the Sumpter Valley through Baker City to Thief Valley (records back to 1909), Deer, Rock and North Powder creeks, the Burnt River near Unity, Hereford and Durkee, and the three reservoirs. Gages on Eagle Creek, Pine Creek and the lower Powder and Burnt rivers are operated by Idaho Power and have no public daily records, so they are not included.

What River Flow Planner shows for each gage

Each gage page turns the agency’s full daily record into planning tools for fishing, rafting, kayaking, swimming, boating, irrigation and in-stream work:

• Summary hydrograph of typical flows, river stages or lake levels through the year
• Percent of time flows fall within a range you choose
• Likely range of flows on future dates you pick
• How a recent period compares with normal, plus a year-by-year spaghetti plot
• Flood frequency statistics for USGS gages with peak-flow records
• CSV downloads and links to current real-time data and short-term forecasts

Powder River

The Powder River from the Sumpter Valley through Phillips Lake, Baker City and Thief Valley Reservoir, listed upstream to downstream.

Powder River Tributaries

Deer Creek above Phillips Lake and the Elkhorn Mountains streams Rock Creek and North Powder River.

Burnt River

The North Fork Burnt River above Unity Reservoir and the Burnt River below Unity Dam and in its canyon above Huntington.

Lake & Reservoir Levels

Water-surface elevations of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Phillips Lake, Thief Valley and Unity reservoirs.

Other basins

Rogue River Basin · Klamath River Basin · Deschutes River Basin · North Coast Basin · Mid Coast Basin · Umpqua River Basin · South Coast Basin · Willamette River Basin · Sandy River Basin · Hood River Basin · John Day River Basin · Umatilla River Basin · Grande Ronde River Basin · Malheur River Basin · Owyhee River Basin · Malheur Lake Basin · Goose & Summer Lakes Basin