Nivelmap
EN

How to read levelsSources and methods

North America

Western Europe

Central Europe

Mediterranean

Nordic countries

Crab Orchard Creek near Marion water level

River gauge, Crab Orchard Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.63ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.1 cfs
1 2 3

History

24ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 1924ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
24ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 1924ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-0358ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-0358ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
-0358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 0.63 ft, Crab Orchard Creek near Marion is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.75 ft below the median of 2.38 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1.23 ft (−0.60 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.59 ft and 0.78 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.38 ft1.75 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.14 ft – 3.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.23 ft−0.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.59 ft – 0.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.59 ft – 8.13 ft

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 43° – Wind 11 mph
18 Sun 65° 38° – Wind 8 mph
19 Mon 73° 41° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 73° 51° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 75° 49° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 77° 52° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 78° 52° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 63%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Big Muddy River at PlumfieldRiver gauge, Big Muddy River 2.54 ft Low −0.06 ft 13 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River 2.20 ft Low ±0 13 mi
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River 8.92 ft Normal +0.02 ft 21 mi
Big Muddy River at Rte 127 at MurphysboroRiver gauge, Big Muddy River 3.28 ft Very low +0.04 ft 24 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek 1.88 ft Low ±0 26 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River 8.24 ft Normal −0.02 ft 27 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River 30.28 ft Below flood stage +0.33 ft 34 mi
Rayse Creek near WaltonvilleRiver gauge, Rayse Creek 1.20 ft Normal −0.01 ft 37 mi

Questions and answers

How does Crab Orchard Creek near Marion compare with last year?

It is 0.60 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.23 ft.

What is a normal level for Crab Orchard Creek near Marion in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.14 ft and 3.48 ft, based on 33 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Crab Orchard Creek near Marion today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 0.63 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Crab Orchard Creek near Marion rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Crab Orchard Creek near Marion normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05597500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.73111, -88.88917 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.63 ft 2026-10-19 22:00 Provisional
Flow 0.1 cfs 2026-10-19 22:00 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Crab Orchard Creek near Marion (usgs:05597500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/crab-orchard-creek-near-marion

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer