Little Calumet River at South Holland water level

Name: Little Calumet River at South Holland water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Little Calumet River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.42ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 53.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Little Calumet River at South Holland reads 5.42 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 5.50 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.08 ft below typical. It is 10.58 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.72 ft, a difference of −1.30 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.40 ft and 11.02 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.50 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.98 ft – 7.47 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.72 ft−1.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.40 ft – 11.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.98 ft – 15.47 ft
Highest on record: 20.50 ftNovember 28, 1990

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 16.00 ft, still 10.58 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Widespread inundation of roadways and structures in the floodplain reaches up to four blocks from the river in South Holland.
22.50 ft: State Street threatened in South Holland. Sibley Boulevard (IL-83) threatened in Dolton and Harvey.
22.00 ft: Multiple commercial structures threatened along River Oaks Drive (US-6) in Calumet City. Cottage Grove Avenue threatened in South Holland.
21.50 ft: Residential structures threatened off Park Avenue in Calumet City. Multiple commercial structures threatened along Van Dam Road in South Holland.
21.00 ft: Widespread inundation of roadways and structures in the floodplain reaches up to two blocks from the river between Gouwens Park and Veterans Park, and numerous blocks near Pioneer Park. River Oaks Drive (US-6) threatened in Calumet City. Wabash Avenue threatened in South Holland. Residential parking lots threatened off Park Avenue in Calumet City. Athletic fields threatened at Veterans Park in South Holland.
20.50 ft: I-94 (Bishop Ford Freeway) threatened near US-6 in South Holland. Eisenhower Elementary threatened in South Holland. Commercial structures threatened along Greenwood Avenue in Dolton. A few residential structures threatened along Markham Drive in Harvey. A few residential structures threatened along Kenwood Avenue, Kimbark Avenue, 165th Street, and side streets in South Holland. Commercial parking lots threatened along River Oaks Drive (US-6) in Calumet City.
20.00 ft: A few commercial structures threatened along Van Dam Road in South Holland. A few residential structures threatened along Robin Lane, Riverview Drive, 159th Place, and Blouin Drive in South Holland.
19.50 ft: Residential structures threatened along South Park Avenue and 158th Street in South Holland. South Park Avenue threatened. 158th Street and Riverview Drive threatened in multiple locations.
19.00 ft: 159th Place, 158th Street, Blouin Drive, Kenwood Avenue, Kimbark Avenue, and numerous side streets threatened in South Holland. Parking lots threatened along South Park Avenue in South Holland.
18.50 ft: A few structures threatened along Riverside Drive in South Holland.
18.00 ft: Riverview Drive threatened in South Holland.
17.00 ft: Markham Drive threatened in Harvey. Low-lying portions of Pioneer Park inundated in South Holland.
5.42 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.50 ft	November 28, 1990
2	20.20 ft	June 14, 1981
3	20.16 ft	September 14, 2008
4	20.11 ft	July 14, 1957
5	20.01 ft	July 19, 1996
6	19.46 ft	December 4, 1982
7	19.39 ft	October 11, 1954
8	19.24 ft	April 6, 1947
9	19.23 ft	February 21, 2018
10	19.10 ft	February 22, 1997

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 68° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 71° 37° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 56° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 72° 57° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 72° 60° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 72° 47° 0.20 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Calumet River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Calumet River at Grant St at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	13 mi
Little Calumet River near Lake StationRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Little Calumet River at PorterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Little Calumet River near HammondRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	6.10 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
Little Calumet River at HighlandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	8.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	8 mi
Little Calumet River at Northcote Av at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	9.94 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	6 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	4.4 mi
Little Calumet River at Burr Street at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thorn Creek at ThorntonRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.80 ft	Normal	±0	2.7 mi
Calumet Union Drainage Canal near MarkhamRiver gauge, Calumet Union Drainage Canal	2.31 ft	Normal	±0	3.6 mi
Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at HammondRiver gauge, Grand Calumet River	6.08 ft	Low	+0.29 ft	5.1 mi
Butterfield Creek at FlossmoorRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	4.00 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	5.4 mi
Thorn Creek at GlenwoodRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.57 ft	Very low	±0	5.5 mi
Deer Creek near Chicago HeightsRiver gauge, Deer Creek	3.18 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	6.0 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.54 ft	High	−0.02 ft	6 mi
Hart Ditch at MunsterCanal gauge, Hart Ditch	0.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little Calumet River at South Holland higher than last year?

No, it is 1.30 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.72 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Calumet River at South Holland?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 10.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Calumet River at South Holland in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.50 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.98 ft and 7.47 ft, based on 32 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 Little Calumet River at South Holland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 5.42 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Calumet River at South Holland rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Calumet River at South Holland normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:05536290 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.60703, -87.59758 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	5.42 ft	2026-10-20 18:45	Provisional
Flow	53.0 cfs	2026-10-20 18:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Calumet River at South Holland (usgs:05536290). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/little-calumet-river-at-south-holland

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