Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond water level

Name: Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond 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, Grand Calumet River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

6.14ft Up 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 35.1 cfs
Water temperature: 66 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond is running below normal at 6.14 ft.

The median for mid-October is 6.78 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.64 ft below typical. It is 3.36 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.60 ft, a difference of +0.54 ft.

It has risen 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.39 ft and 7.40 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 66 °F.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.78 ft0.64 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.79 ft – 7.64 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.60 ft+0.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.39 ft – 7.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.70 ft – 8.02 ft
Highest on record: 9.32 ftDecember 12, 2020

Floating and fishing near Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 9.50 ft, 3.36 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: Residences threatened along Roosevelt Street in Hammond.
13.00 ft: Industrial structures threatened near Hohman Avenue and Hoffman Street in Hammond.
12.00 ft: Columbia Avenue threatened in Hammond.
11.00 ft: Calumet Avenue threatened north of the river in Hammond. Industrial parking lots threatened near Hohman Avenue and Hoffman Street in Hammond.
10.00 ft: Roosevelt Street threatened at Birch Avenue in Hammond.
9.50 ft: Sanitary District of Hammond property threatened.
6.14 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.32 ft	December 12, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 63° 39° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 70° 53° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 57° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 70° 60° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 72° 57° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Grand Calumet River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grand Calumet River at Industrial Highway at GaryRiver gauge, Grand Calumet River	408 cfs	Low	−5.0 cfs	5.5 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Indiana Harbor Canal at East ChicagoCanal gauge, Indiana Harbor Canal	9.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.16 ft	2.7 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.40 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	3.1 mi
Little Calumet River at Northcote Av at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	9.95 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	3.7 mi
Little Calumet River near HammondRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	6.10 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.7 mi
Little Calumet River at HighlandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	8.08 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	3.9 mi
Hart Ditch at MunsterCanal gauge, Hart Ditch	0.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.1 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.37 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	5.1 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.53 ft	High	−0.04 ft	6 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.54 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.60 ft.

What is flood stage for the Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 3.36 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.78 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.79 ft and 7.64 ft, based on 7 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 Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM CDT, the water level was 6.14 ft. Up 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond rising or falling?

Up 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 7 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:05536356 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.61861, -87.49983 (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	6.14 ft	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Flow	35.1 cfs	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Water temperature	66 °F	2026-10-21 04:00	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/10187?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at Hammond (usgs:05536356). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/grand-calumet-river-at-columbia-av-at-hammond

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