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Salt Creek near Rowell water level

River gauge, Salt Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

9.09ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
20.5 cfs
10 20 30 Highest onrecord 29.21 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

101214ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18Minor flood stage101214ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Minor flood stage
101214ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage101214ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18Minor flood stage
101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
101520ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026101520ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Salt Creek near Rowell reads 9.09 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 9.08 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.01 ft above typical. It is 5.91 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 8.74 ft, a difference of +0.35 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 9.05 ft and 9.32 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
9.08 ft0.01 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
8.85 ft – 11.88 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
8.74 ft+0.35 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
9.05 ft – 9.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
8.75 ft – 20.25 ft
Highest on record
29.21 ftMay 16, 1968

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 15.00 ft, still 5.91 ft away.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
129.21 ftMay 16, 1968
224.84 ftFebruary 11, 1959
324.77 ftMay 18, 1943
424.71 ftApril 21, 1964
524.34 ftJune 27, 2021
624.04 ftApril 13, 1994
723.72 ftMay 8, 1961
823.67 ftMay 25, 1956
923.46 ftDecember 30, 2015
1023.28 ftJanuary 14, 2005

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.25 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 36° – Wind 14 mph
19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 71° 44° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 72° 51° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 74° 55° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 11 mph
24 Sat 77° 56° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on Salt Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Salt Creek at ValparaisoRiver gauge, Salt Creek 3.25 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 139 mi
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek 2.39 ft Low −0.09 ft 145 mi
Salt Creek at Higgins Road near Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek 5.42 ft Low +0.01 ft 143 mi
Salt Creek at Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek 12.26 ft Normal −0.04 ft 142 mi
Salt Creek at Wood DaleRiver gauge, Salt Creek 7.14 ft Normal −0.36 ft 139 mi
Salt Creek at ElmhurstRiver gauge, Salt Creek 5.31 ft Normal −0.25 ft 135 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek 48.21 ft Normal −0.30 ft 133 mi
Salt Creek at Western SpringsRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.90 ft Normal −0.31 ft 133 mi
Salt Creek near Farmer CityRiver gauge, Salt Creek 689.76 ft Normal ±0 22 mi
Salt Creek near GreenviewRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.36 ft Normal −0.05 ft 36 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Clinton Lake near LaneRiver gauge, Clinton Lake 689.66 ft Normal −0.01 ft 9 mi
Kickapoo Creek at WaynesvilleRiver gauge, Kickapoo Creek 2.45 ft Normal −0.05 ft 11 mi
North Fork Salt Creek near De WittRiver gauge, North Fork Salt Creek 691.06 ft Normal ±0 15 mi
Little Kickapoo Creek near HeyworthRiver gauge, Little Kickapoo Creek 3.33 ft Normal ±0 18 mi
Sangamon River at Route 48 at DecaturRiver gauge, Sangamon River 2.04 ft Low −0.13 ft 20 mi
Lake Fork near CornlandRiver gauge, Lake Fork 8.7 cfs Low ±0 21 mi
Sugar Creek near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 1.08 ft Normal −0.02 ft 25 mi
Sangamon River at MonticelloRiver gauge, Sangamon River 5.04 ft Normal −0.04 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

Is Salt Creek near Rowell higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.35 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 8.74 ft.

What is flood stage for Salt Creek near Rowell?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 5.91 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Salt Creek near Rowell in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9.08 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 8.85 ft and 11.88 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 Salt Creek near Rowell today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 9.09 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Creek near Rowell rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Salt Creek near Rowell 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:05578500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.11517, -89.04918 (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 9.09 ft 2026-10-18 21:30 Provisional
Flow 20.5 cfs 2026-10-18 21:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Creek near Rowell (usgs:05578500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/salt-creek-near-rowell

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