Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor water level

Name: Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor 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, Butterfield Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.03ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 5.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor reads 4.03 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.04 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.01 ft below typical. It is 4.97 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.66 ft, a difference of −0.63 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.01 ft and 6.97 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: 4.04 ft0.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.63 ft – 4.71 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.66 ft−0.63 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.01 ft – 6.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.85 ft – 10.02 ft
Highest on record: 13.08 ftApril 17, 2006

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 9.00 ft, still 4.97 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Residences are threatened along Center Avenue in Homewood and Holbrook Road in Chicago Heights.
14.50 ft: Center Avenue is threatened near the creek in Homewood.
14.00 ft: Halsted Street is threatened near the creek in Homewood.
13.00 ft: Holbrook Road is threatened east of Riegel Road in Chicago Heights.
12.50 ft: Riegel Road is threatened near the creek in Homewood.
12.00 ft: Residences threatened along Ashland Avenue and Hamilton Wood Road in Homewood.
10.00 ft: Structures threatened in Veterans Memorial Park in Glenwood.
9.00 ft: Low-lying sections of Idlewild Country Club are inundated in Homewood.
8.00 ft: Low-lying wooded areas near Riegel Road are inundated.
4.03 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.08 ft	April 17, 2006
2	12.59 ft	July 18, 1996
3	12.34 ft	September 14, 2008
4	11.97 ft	May 22, 1982
5	11.89 ft	November 28, 1990
6	11.76 ft	June 13, 1981
7	11.42 ft	April 18, 2013
8	11.40 ft	December 3, 1983
9	11.02 ft	February 20, 2018
10	10.92 ft	October 10, 1954

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 40° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 71° 43° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 73° 57° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 57° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 57° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 72° 59° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thorn Creek at GlenwoodRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.57 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	1.5 mi
Thorn Creek at ThorntonRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.79 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	2.9 mi
Deer Creek near Chicago HeightsRiver gauge, Deer Creek	3.19 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	3.3 mi
Calumet Union Drainage Canal near MarkhamRiver gauge, Calumet Union Drainage Canal	2.31 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	4.0 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.52 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	5.4 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.56 ft	High	+0.10 ft	6 mi
Midlothian Creek at Oak ForestRiver gauge, Midlothian Creek	1.58 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor higher than last year?

No, it is 0.63 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.66 ft.

What is flood stage for Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 4.97 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.63 ft and 4.71 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 Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM CDT, the water level was 4.03 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor 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:05536255 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.53986, -87.64944 (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	4.03 ft	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional
Flow	5.6 cfs	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Butterfield Creek at Flossmoor (usgs:05536255). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/butterfield-creek-at-flossmoor

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