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Kaskaskia River near Cowden water level

River gauge, Kaskaskia River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
54.8 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 20.36 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
246ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18246ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
246ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18246ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Kaskaskia River near Cowden is at 2.28 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.18 ft, based on 38 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.11 ft above typical. It is 12.72 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.45 ft, a difference of −0.17 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.25 ft and 2.44 ft.

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

Compared with 38 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.18 ft0.11 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.64 ft – 6.55 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (38 years of records)
Same day last year
2.45 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.25 ft – 2.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.27 ft – 16.97 ft
Highest on record
20.36 ftMay 12, 2002

Floating and fishing near Kaskaskia River near Cowden

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

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 12.72 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
120.36 ftMay 12, 2002
220.28 ftJanuary 11, 2020
319.80 ftDecember 28, 2015
419.56 ftApril 19, 2013
519.51 ftJuly 31, 2020
619.12 ftFebruary 23, 1985
719.07 ftMay 4, 2017
818.97 ftApril 12, 1979
918.88 ftApril 26, 2011
1018.61 ftJune 2, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.15 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 35° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 70° 38° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 72° 51° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 74° 50° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 76° 54° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 77° 55° – Wind 9 mph
24 Sat 79° 54° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Kaskaskia River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Kaskaskia River below FicklinRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.30 ft Normal −0.32 ft 46 mi
Kaskaskia River at Cooks MillsRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.52 ft Low −0.02 ft 33 mi
Kaskaskia River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 6.42 ft Normal +0.01 ft 13 mi
Kaskaskia River at VandaliaRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 2.97 ft Normal −0.01 ft 23 mi
Kaskaskia River at CarlyleRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 5.68 ft Low −0.02 ft 51 mi
Kaskaskia River near Venedy StationRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 1.35 ft Low −0.17 ft 68 mi
Kaskaskia River at New AthensRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.65 ft Normal ±0 84 mi
Kaskaskia River near Red BudRiver gauge, Kaskaskia River 68.58 ft Low −0.09 ft 91 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Robinson Creek near ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Robinson Creek 2.75 ft High −0.04 ft 13 mi
Little Wabash River near EffinghamRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 10.43 ft Normal ±0 16 mi
Hickory Creek near BrownstownRiver gauge, Hickory Creek 3.92 ft Normal −0.04 ft 21 mi
Whitley Creek near AllenvilleRiver gauge, Whitley Creek 2.18 ft Normal ±0 25 mi
East Fork Shoal Creek near CoffeenRiver gauge, East Fork Shoal Creek 1.88 ft Very low ±0 28 mi
Hurricane Creek near Mulberry GroveRiver gauge, Hurricane Creek 3.58 ft Normal −0.01 ft 30 mi
West Okaw River near LovingtonRiver gauge, West Okaw River 2.27 ft Normal −0.01 ft 36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Kaskaskia River near Cowden higher than last year?

No, it is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.45 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kaskaskia River near Cowden?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.72 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kaskaskia River near Cowden in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.18 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.64 ft and 6.55 ft, based on 38 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 near Cowden today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kaskaskia River near Cowden rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kaskaskia River near Cowden normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 38 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:05592100 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.22986, -88.84183 (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 2.28 ft 2026-10-18 20:30 Provisional
Flow 54.8 cfs 2026-10-18 20:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kaskaskia River near Cowden (usgs:05592100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kaskaskia-river-near-cowden

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.