Kayak Love

Oregon · river

South Santiam River below Cascadia

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

50of 100

Fair

Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near South Santiam River below Cascadia
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Short Bridge - This is the only covered bridge left over the South Santiam River - (^442 explore 04-18-2023) - Flickr - Kirt Edblom.jpg by Kirt Edblom from Albany, Oregon, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

9 mph

gusting to 31 mph

Air temp

61°F

95% chance of rain

River flow

33.9 cfs

very low for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Tuesday · 99

  • Today

    45

  • Thu

    60

  • Fri

    75

  • Sat

    95

  • Sun

    95

  • Mon

    98

  • Tue

    99

    Best

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
3p930
4p829
5p1029
6p1126
7p718
8p518
9p318
10p216
11p217
12a417
1a420
2a220

Is this flow normal for September 2?

Today's 33.9 cfs is 43% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 60 cfs, across 89 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind9 mph — noticeable but manageable-5
  • GustsGusting to 31 mph — 22 mph over sustained-20
  • Rain95% chance in the next 6 hours-25

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but we haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Oregon