Kishwaukee River at Belvidere water level

Name: Kishwaukee River at Belvidere 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, Kishwaukee River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.99ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 377 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Kishwaukee River at Belvidere is at 1.99 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.53 ft above the median of 1.46 ft for mid-October, based on 34 years of readings. It is 7.01 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.99 ft (+1.00 ft).

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.81 ft and 4.32 ft.

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

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.46 ft0.53 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.97 ft – 2.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.99 ft+1.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.81 ft – 4.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.93 ft – 9.27 ft
Highest on record: 16.90 ftJanuary 24, 1938

Floating and fishing near Kishwaukee River at Belvidere

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 7.01 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: I-90 may be threatened west of Belvidere.
19.00 ft: Union Pacific Railroad tracks threatened in Cherry Valley.
16.50 ft: Newburg Road threatened west of Belvidere.
16.00 ft: Inundation of structures and roadways reaches 1-2 blocks from the river in downtown Belvidere. Roadways and structures threatened at Bel Mo Mobile Home Park in Belvidere. US-20 Business and Appleton Road threatened in Belvidere. Residences threatened along East Street and Van Buren Street in Cherry Valley.
15.50 ft: Belvidere Sewage Treatment Plant threatened. US-20 and Union Pacific Railroad tracks threatened east of Belvidere. Main Street threatened in Belvidere.
15.00 ft: Commercial structures threatened in downtown Belvidere. Widespread inundation of agricultural land and woodland near Belvidere. Water reaches the top of the levee along River Drive in Belvidere. Residential structures threatened along Grove Street and Cherry Street in Cherry Valley. Athletic fields threatened and overflow begins into lake at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
14.00 ft: Parking lots threatened in downtown Belvidere.
12.00 ft: Parking lots threatened at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
11.50 ft: Lawrenceville Road threatened east of Belvidere. Structures in Belvidere Park are threatened. Without flood protection, multiple residential structures threatened along Gaynor Street, Gladys Court, Burgess Road, and River Drive.
11.00 ft: Industrial structures threatened along Pleasant Street and Meadow Street in Belvidere. Epworth Road threatened east of Belvidere. Widespread inundation in Belvidere Park.
10.50 ft: Water begins to bypass the main channel east of Belvidere toward Coon Creek and Belmar Golf Club. Without flood protection, Gaynor Street threatened in Belvidere. Trails threatened at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
10.00 ft: Trails in Spencer Park threatened. Parking lots threatened in Belvidere Park.
1.99 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	16.90 ft	January 24, 1938
2	14.19 ft	February 20, 1994
3	13.97 ft	June 14, 1999
4	13.10 ft	March 16, 1943
5	12.90 ft	January 6, 1946
6	12.88 ft	July 3, 1978
7	12.76 ft	March 20, 1979
8	12.74 ft	February 20, 1971
9	12.70 ft	March 31, 1960
10	12.56 ft	March 15, 1944

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.58 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 38° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 63° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 47° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 70° 52° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 71° 57° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 71° 57° 0.00 in Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Kishwaukee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kishwaukee River at MarengoRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	7.86 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	13 mi
Kishwaukee River near PerryvilleRiver gauge, Kishwaukee River	6.35 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Kishwaukee River near FairdaleRiver gauge, South Branch Kishwaukee River	2.70 ft	High	−0.12 ft	10 mi
Rock River at Auburn St at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	3.25 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	11 mi
Rock River above Dam at RockfordRiver gauge, Rock River	2.66 ft	High	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Rock River at Latham ParkRiver gauge, Rock River	5.33 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	13 mi
Rock River at RocktonRiver gauge, Rock River	5.26 ft	High	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Pecatonica River near ShirlandRiver gauge, Pecatonica River	6.19 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	20 mi
Piscasaw Creek near WalworthRiver gauge, Piscasaw Creek	3.2 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	21 mi
Rock River at ByronRiver gauge, Rock River	7.16 ft	Normal	±0	22 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Kishwaukee River at Belvidere compare with last year?

It is 1.00 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.99 ft.

What is flood stage for the Kishwaukee River at Belvidere?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.01 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kishwaukee River at Belvidere in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.97 ft and 2.76 ft, based on 34 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 Kishwaukee River at Belvidere today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 1.99 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kishwaukee River at Belvidere rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Kishwaukee River at Belvidere normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 34 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:05438500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.25613, -88.86316 (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	1.99 ft	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Flow	377 cfs	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/13141?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Kishwaukee River at Belvidere water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kishwaukee River at Belvidere (usgs:05438500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kishwaukee-river-at-belvidere

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