Salt Creek at Western Springs water level

Name: Salt Creek at Western Springs 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, Salt Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.83ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:50 AM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 22.2 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 Salt Creek at Western Springs, where the gauge shows 1.83 ft.

That puts it 0.11 ft below the median of 1.94 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 5.67 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.02 ft (−1.19 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.63 ft – 6.36 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.94 ft0.11 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.54 ft – 4.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.02 ft−1.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.63 ft – 6.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.31 ft – 7.47 ft
Highest on record: 10.65 ftApril 18, 2013

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 7.50 ft.

What happens at each level

9.00 ft: Structures are threatened near Ogden Avenue and York Road.
7.50 ft: Nearby forest preserve land is threatened.
1.83 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.65 ft	April 18, 2013
2	10.54 ft	August 17, 1987
3	9.92 ft	September 14, 2008
4	9.64 ft	June 16, 2015
5	9.56 ft	October 15, 2017
6	9.45 ft	May 18, 2020
7	9.35 ft	February 21, 1997
8	8.94 ft	October 3, 2006
9	8.94 ft	May 10, 1990
10	8.91 ft	February 21, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 38° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 61° 41° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 53° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 53° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 57° 0.00 in Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 72° 57° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on Salt Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek at ValparaisoRiver gauge, Salt Creek	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	50 mi
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.35 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Salt Creek at Higgins Road near Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.41 ft	Very low	±0	15 mi
Salt Creek at Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek	12.24 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Salt Creek at Wood DaleRiver gauge, Salt Creek	6.98 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	10 mi
Salt Creek at ElmhurstRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.21 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	5.2 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek	48.09 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	2.4 mi
Salt Creek near Farmer CityRiver gauge, Salt Creek	689.76 ft	Normal	±0	117 mi
Salt Creek near RowellRiver gauge, Salt Creek	9.09 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	133 mi
Salt Creek near GreenviewRiver gauge, Salt Creek	1.34 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	151 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	2.58 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	4.0 mi
Addison Creek at BellwoodRiver gauge, Addison Creek	1.55 ft	Normal	+0.10 ft	4.2 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	10.96 ft	Normal	−0.30 ft	4.8 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.79 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	5.5 mi
Flag Creek near Willow SpringsRiver gauge, Flag Creek	3.23 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	6.0 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at StickneyRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	−2.25 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	8 mi
East Branch Du Page River near Downers GroveRiver gauge, East Branch Du Page River	12.12 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Sawmill Creek near LemontRiver gauge, Sawmill Creek	8.43 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Salt Creek at Western Springs compare with last year?

It is 1.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.02 ft.

What is flood stage for Salt Creek at Western Springs?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 5.67 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Salt Creek at Western Springs in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.94 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.54 ft and 4.61 ft, based on 32 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 at Western Springs today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:50 AM CDT, the water level was 1.83 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Creek at Western Springs rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Salt Creek at Western Springs normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:05531500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.82583, -87.90028 (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	1.83 ft	2026-10-19 14:50	Provisional
Flow	22.2 cfs	2026-10-19 14:50	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Creek at Western Springs (usgs:05531500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/salt-creek-at-western-springs

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