Hills Creek Lake water level — Oregon
Hills Creek Lake in Oregon was last measured at 1,460.23 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:10 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−9.2 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−9.2 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 14145100, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 389 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Hills Creek Lake
Hills Creek Lake is held back by Hills Creek Dam (also recorded as Hills Creek Lake) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 341 ft high and running 2,235 ft along its crest , built across MIDDLE FORK WILLAMETTE RIVER in Lane County , near OAKRIDGE . It was completed in 1962 , and is owned by USACE - Portland District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CENWP.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;other;irrigation;navigation;recreation;hydroelectric.
It is founded on rock;soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 146 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)3;tainter (radial)2.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,735 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 356,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 350,600 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 141,600 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record OR00014 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Hills Creek Lake compares nearby
4 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Point Lake | OR | 842.93 ft | 35 km |
| Fall Creek Lake | OR | 794.86 ft | 38 km |
| Dexter Lake at Dexter | OR | 692.05 ft | 39 km |
| Dorena Lake | OR | 818.32 ft | 44 km |
| Lemolo Lake | OR | 4,146.77 ft | 47 km |
| Cougar Lake | OR | 1,559.39 ft | 49 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Hills Creek Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:10 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 1,460.23 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Hills Creek Lake full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 14145100, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Oregon
See every lake tracked in Oregon, or read the methodology behind these figures.