Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo water level

Name: Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo 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, Kankakee River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

504.57ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 10:00 AM CDT (5 days ago)

Water temperature: 58 °F

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

At 504.57 ft, the Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.15 ft below the median of 504.72 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. It is 3.43 ft below the flood stage of 508.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 58 °F.

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 504.72 ft0.15 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 504.64 ft – 504.77 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Highest on record: 508.54 ftMay 18, 2020

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 508.00 ft, still 3.43 ft away.

What happens at each level

510.50 ft: Power generation at Dresden Station is threatened.
508.00 ft: High water may begin to impact operations at Dresden Station.
504.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	508.54 ft	May 18, 2020
2	508.18 ft	April 19, 2013
3	507.65 ft	February 21, 2018
4	506.36 ft	May 2, 2019
5	505.62 ft	March 10, 2015
6	505.47 ft	July 23, 2017
7	505.32 ft	June 22, 2014
8	505.28 ft	May 16, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 68° 40° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 45° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 72° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 73° 55° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 73° 56° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 71° 54° – Wind 11 mph

27 Tue 56° 52° 0.07 in Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Kankakee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kankakee River at DavisRiver gauge, Kankakee River	6.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	81 mi
Kankakee River at Dunns BridgeRiver gauge, Kankakee River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	68 mi
Kankakee River near KoutsRiver gauge, Kankakee River	5.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	64 mi
Kankakee River at ShelbyRiver gauge, Kankakee River	5.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	50 mi
Kankakee River at MomenceRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.99 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Kankakee River near WilmingtonRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.49 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	4.9 mi
Kankakee River below Ushwy 30 near HannaRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.82 ft	No reference yet	−0.06 ft	81 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Aux Sable Creek near MorrisRiver gauge, Aux Sable Creek	3.47 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	4.9 mi
Mazon River near Coal CityRiver gauge, Mazon River	1.38 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Illinois River at MorrisRiver gauge, Illinois River	4.97 ft	Low	−0.34 ft	9 mi
Du Page River at ShorewoodRiver gauge, Du Page River	10.63 ft	Very high	−0.06 ft	10 mi
Hickory Creek at JolietRiver gauge, Hickory Creek	10.85 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	13 mi
Des Plaines River at Route 53 at JolietRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	538.97 ft	Normal	±0	14 mi
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River	20.54 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Fox River Tailwater at YorkvilleRiver gauge, Fox River Tailwater	7.12 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo?

The official flood stage is 508.00 ft. The level is currently 3.43 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 504.72 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 504.64 ft and 504.77 ft, based on 13 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 Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 10:00 AM CDT, the water level was 504.57 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo?

The highest level on record is 508.54 ft on May 18, 2020.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:412320088154101 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.38878, -88.26158 (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	504.57 ft	2026-10-16 15:00	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near Lorenzo (usgs:412320088154101). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/kankakee-river-at-inflow-of-power-plant-near-lorenzo

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