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Kaskaskia River at Vandalia water level

River gauge, Kaskaskia River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.98ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
85.7 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 28.27 ft Minor floodstage 18.00 ft

History

2468ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 182468ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
358ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 18358ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-01020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-01020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Kaskaskia River at Vandalia is at 2.98 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.27 ft above the median of 2.71 ft for mid-October, based on 41 years of readings. It is 15.02 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.17 ft (−0.19 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.78 ft and 3.56 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 41 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.71 ft0.27 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.08 ft – 7.75 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (41 years of records)
Same day last year
3.17 ft−0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.78 ft – 3.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.78 ft – 26.48 ft
Highest on record
28.27 ftMay 8, 2002

Floating and fishing near Kaskaskia River at Vandalia

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 15.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

33.29 ft
Flood waters reach the instrument shelf of the manometer gage house.
31.00 ft
Floodwaters will threaten the wastewater treatment facility near this height.
30.50 ft
Flood waters reach the floor of the gage house.
27.90 ft
U.S. Highway 51 south of Vandalia begins to flood near this height.
27.50 ft
Near this level, the left bank levee just south of the U.S. Highway 51 bridge is overtopped.
27.20 ft
At this height, Thrill Hill Road (County Road 1800) is flooded from U.S. 51 for about 3000 ft westward.
27.10 ft
At this height about 75% of County Road 2000 between US 51 and the bridge over the Kaskaskia River is flooded.
26.00 ft
The Dively and Vandalia Levees begin to be overtopped.
25.80 ft
Along South 4th Street, numerous homes begin flooding near the St. Clair Street intersection.
25.50 ft
South 4th Street begins flooding near and south of Jefferson Street in Vandalia.
23.00 ft
Agricultural levee begins to be slightly overtopped. No residences are affected at this level.
19.20 ft
State Highway J just east of County Road 206 begins to flood near this height.
2.98 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 29 %.

RankLevelDate
128.27 ftMay 8, 2002
227.88 ftApril 19, 2013
327.84 ftJanuary 12, 2020
427.83 ftDecember 28, 2015
527.70 ftJanuary 6, 2005
627.65 ftMay 1, 2017
727.45 ftApril 28, 2011
827.41 ftApril 30, 1996
927.40 ftMay 18, 1995
1027.39 ftJune 29, 1951

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.22 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 35° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 69° 39° – Wind 4 mph
20 Tue 72° 52° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 74° 51° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 75° 53° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 76° 53° – Wind 9 mph
24 Sat 78° 55° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Kaskaskia River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.47 ft Normal +0.27 ft 69 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.53 ft Low +0.01 ft 56 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 6.42 ft Normal ±0 35 mi
Kaskaskia River near CowdenRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.25 ft Normal −0.12 ft 23 mi
Kaskaskia River at CarlyleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 5.74 ft Low +0.04 ft 28 mi
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.45 ft Low −0.17 ft 46 mi
Kaskaskia River at New AthensRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.74 ft Normal +0.20 ft 62 mi
Kaskaskia River near Red BudRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.73 ft Normal +0.19 ft 69 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Hickory Creek near BrownstownRiver gauge, Hickory Creek 3.95 ft Normal −0.04 ft 7 mi
Hurricane Creek near Mulberry GroveRiver gauge, Hurricane Creek 3.57 ft Normal −0.03 ft 8 mi
East Fork Kaskaskia River near SandovalRiver gauge, East Fork Kaskaskia River 2.43 ft Normal ±0 19 mi
East Fork Shoal Creek near CoffeenRiver gauge, East Fork Shoal Creek 1.89 ft Very low ±0 19 mi
Shoal Creek near PierronRiver gauge, Shoal Creek 42.23 ft Low −0.10 ft 25 mi
Little Wabash River near EffinghamRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 10.43 ft Normal −0.01 ft 28 mi
Robinson Creek near ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Robinson Creek 2.76 ft High −0.02 ft 32 mi
Shoal Creek near BreeseRiver gauge, Shoal Creek 1.20 ft Low −0.03 ft 33 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kaskaskia River at Vandalia compare with last year?

It is 0.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.17 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kaskaskia River at Vandalia?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 15.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kaskaskia River at Vandalia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.71 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.08 ft and 7.75 ft, based on 41 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 Kaskaskia River at Vandalia today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 2.98 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River at Vandalia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.18 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kaskaskia River at Vandalia normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 41 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05592500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.96061, -89.08881 (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 2.98 ft 2026-10-18 06:30 Provisional
Flow 85.7 cfs 2026-10-18 06:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River at Vandalia (usgs:05592500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-at-vandalia

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