Willow Creek Lake at Heppner water level — Oregon
Willow Creek Lake at Heppner in Oregon was last measured at 2,052.16 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−7.3 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−7.3 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 14034490, 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 97 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Willow Creek Lake at Heppner
Willow Creek Lake at Heppner is held back by Willow Creek Dam (also recorded as Willow Creek Lake) , standing 160 ft high and running 1,780 ft along its crest , built across WILLOW CREEK in Morrow County , near HEPPNER . It was completed in 1982 , and is owned by USACE - Portland District (a federal owner) .
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;recreation.
It is founded on rock, with a concrete core. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 380 ft wide. Its outlet works use none0.
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 269 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 14,091 acre-ft against a normal storage of 4,326 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 91,700 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record OR00746 , 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 Willow Creek Lake at Heppner compares nearby
3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington Lake | WA | 1,198.52 ft | 128 km |
| Lake Billy Chinook | OR | 1,944.55 ft | 161 km |
| Lake Billy Chinook | OR | 1,944.50 ft | 167 km |
| Bull Run Lake | OR | 3,163.78 ft | 180 km |
| Moses Lake at Moses Lake | WA | 1,046.73 ft | 196 km |
| Bull Run Reservoir No 1 | OR | 1,010.92 ft | 199 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Willow Creek Lake at Heppner?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 2,052.16 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Willow Creek Lake at Heppner 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 14034490, 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.