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Little Wabash River near Effingham water level

River gauge, Little Wabash River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

10.43ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.9 cfs
10 15 20 25 Highest onrecord 24.27 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft

History

History
10.010.511.0ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 1910.010.511.0ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
10.010.511.0ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 1910.010.511.0ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
1015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Little Wabash River near Effingham is at 10.43 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 ft below the median of 10.50 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 5.57 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 10.84 ft (−0.41 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 10.39 ft and 10.70 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
10.50 ft0.07 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
9.78 ft – 11.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
10.84 ft−0.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
10.39 ft – 10.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
10.32 ft – 18.66 ft
Highest on record
24.27 ftMay 13, 2002

Floating and fishing near Little Wabash River near Effingham

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

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 5.57 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft
Water begins to overflow bank at N 1000th Rd.
10.43 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
124.27 ftMay 13, 2002
221.46 ftJanuary 11, 2020
321.19 ftMay 8, 1996
421.13 ftJuly 5, 2000
521.06 ftDecember 27, 2015
620.72 ftMay 5, 2017
720.65 ftJune 7, 2008
820.58 ftApril 19, 2013
920.47 ftJune 2, 1999
1020.42 ftApril 5, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 35° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 71° 46° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 74° 44° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 75° 54° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 76° 54° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 78° 51° – Wind 10 mph
25 Sun 77° 56° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Wabash River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Wabash River below Clay CityRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 5.43 ft Normal +1.58 ft 36 mi
Little Wabash River near Golden GateRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 4.84 ft Normal −0.16 ft 54 mi
Little Wabash River at Main St at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 3.28 ft Normal −0.03 ft 74 mi
Little Wabash River at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 2.45 ft Normal −0.03 ft 76 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River near CowdenRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.33 ft Normal +0.05 ft 16 mi
Hickory Creek near BrownstownRiver gauge, Hickory Creek 3.89 ft Normal −0.03 ft 22 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 6.42 ft Normal ±0 23 mi
Robinson Creek near ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Robinson Creek 2.75 ft High ±0 26 mi
Whitley Creek near AllenvilleRiver gauge, Whitley Creek 2.19 ft Normal ±0 28 mi
Kaskaskia River at VandaliaRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.89 ft Normal −0.09 ft 28 mi
Embarras River at Ste. MarieRiver gauge, Embarras River 0.82 ft Normal −0.05 ft 33 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.75 ft Normal +0.22 ft 35 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Little Wabash River near Effingham compare with last year?

It is 0.41 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 10.84 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Wabash River near Effingham?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 5.57 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Wabash River near Effingham in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 10.50 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9.78 ft and 11.06 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 Little Wabash River near Effingham today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 10.43 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Wabash River near Effingham rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Wabash River near Effingham normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:03378635 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.10389, -88.59444 (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 10.43 ft 2026-10-19 18:30 Provisional
Flow 0.9 cfs 2026-10-19 18:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Wabash River near Effingham (usgs:03378635). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/little-wabash-river-near-effingham

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.