Kaskaskia River at New Athens water level

Name: Kaskaskia River at New Athens 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, Kaskaskia River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

68.70ft Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 452 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Kaskaskia River at New Athens, where the gauge shows 68.70 ft.

That puts it 0.04 ft below the median of 68.74 ft for mid-October, based on 17 years of readings. It is 10.30 ft below the flood stage of 79.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 68.74 ft (−0.04 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 10.30 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 68.49 ft – 70.88 ft.

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

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 68.74 ft0.04 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 56.56 ft – 77.53 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year: 68.74 ft−0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 68.49 ft – 70.88 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 68.49 ft – 77.86 ft
Highest on record: 95.63 ftJanuary 2, 2016

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 79.00 ft.

What happens at each level

82.20 ft: The RV lot begins flooding along the left bank upstream from the gauge.
68.70 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	95.63 ft	January 2, 2016
2	93.21 ft	May 6, 2017
3	92.27 ft	June 10, 2019
4	90.33 ft	April 29, 2011
5	89.61 ft	June 6, 2013
6	87.16 ft	June 23, 2015
7	86.95 ft	April 25, 2013
8	86.17 ft	April 5, 2019
9	85.77 ft	April 9, 2025
10	85.50 ft	January 15, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.45 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 70° 40° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 76° 51° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 77° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 78° 54° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 81° 55° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Kaskaskia River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.40 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	130 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.53 ft	Low	±0	118 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	6.42 ft	Normal	±0	96 mi
Kaskaskia River near CowdenRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.26 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	84 mi
Kaskaskia River at VandaliaRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	62 mi
Kaskaskia River at CarlyleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	5.75 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	35 mi
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.16 ft	17 mi
Kaskaskia River near Red BudRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River	68.71 ft	Normal	+0.13 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Richland Creek near HeckerRiver gauge, Richland Creek	27.13 ft	High	−0.28 ft	4.5 mi
Silver Creek near FreeburgRiver gauge, Silver Creek	1.19 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	6.0 mi
Martigney Creek near ArnoldRiver gauge, Martigney Creek	0.6 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	25 mi
Gravois Creek near MehlvilleRiver gauge, Gravois Creek	2.9 cfs	Normal	−8.9 cfs	26 mi
Mississippi River at St. LouisRiver gauge, Mississippi River	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	−1.43 ft	27 mi
Little Crooked Creek near New MindenRiver gauge, Little Crooked Creek	5.04 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	27 mi
Mattese Creek near MatteseRiver gauge, Mattese Creek	1.4 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	27 mi
River Des Peres at St. LouisRiver gauge, River Des Peres	12.3 cfs	Normal	−9.4 cfs	27 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kaskaskia River at New Athens compare with last year?

It is 0.04 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 68.74 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kaskaskia River at New Athens?

The official flood stage is 79.00 ft. The level is currently 10.30 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 68.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 56.56 ft and 77.53 ft, based on 17 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 New Athens today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 AM CDT, the water level was 68.70 ft. Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River at New Athens rising or falling?

Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kaskaskia River at New Athens normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 17 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:05595000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.31972, -89.88833 (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	68.70 ft	2026-10-18 11:00	Provisional
Flow	452 cfs	2026-10-18 11:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River at New Athens (usgs:05595000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-at-new-athens

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