South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills water level

Name: South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills 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, South Fork Saline River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.21ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 1.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 2.21 ft, the South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.15 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.94 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 2.00 ft, a difference of +0.21 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.12 ft and 2.28 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.15 ft0.94 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.11 ft – 4.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.00 ft+0.21 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.12 ft – 2.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.96 ft – 12.76 ft
Highest on record: 18.41 ftMay 19, 2008

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.41 ft	May 19, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 44° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 74° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 78° 47° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 76° 52° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 78° 52° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 77° 54° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 76° 56° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River	8.93 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Crab Orchard Creek near MarionRiver gauge, Crab Orchard Creek	0.64 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	13 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek	1.87 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River	30.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	22 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River	8.42 ft	Normal	+0.18 ft	25 mi
Big Muddy River at PlumfieldRiver gauge, Big Muddy River	2.45 ft	Very low	−0.09 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at Old ShawneetownRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.08 ft	Normal	−0.33 ft	30 mi
Ohio River at Smithland Dam, SmithlandRiver gauge, Ohio River	13.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

Is the South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.21 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.00 ft.

What is a normal level for the South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.15 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.11 ft and 4.17 ft, based on 33 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 South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.21 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills?

The highest level on record is 18.41 ft on May 19, 2008.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03382100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.63806, -88.67806 (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	2.21 ft	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional
Flow	1.9 cfs	2026-10-20 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Saline River near Carrier Mills (usgs:03382100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/south-fork-saline-river-near-carrier-mills

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