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Crab Orchard Creek near Marion water level

River gauge, Crab Orchard Creek, Illinois, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.62ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.0 cfs
1 2 3

History

History
24ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2024ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
24ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 2024ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
-0358ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-0358ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
-0358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 0.62 ft, Crab Orchard Creek near Marion is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.75 ft below the median of 2.37 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1.17 ft (−0.55 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.59 ft and 0.78 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
2.37 ft1.75 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.12 ft – 3.50 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.17 ft−0.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.59 ft – 0.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.59 ft – 8.13 ft

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.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 42° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 74° 44° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 78° 54° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 79° 54° – Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 80° 53° – Wind 9 mph
25 Sun 77° 55° – Wind 11 mph
26 Mon 76° 55° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Big Muddy River at PlumfieldRiver gauge, Big Muddy River 2.50 ft Very low −0.06 ft 13 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River 2.22 ft Low +0.02 ft 13 mi
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River 8.88 ft Normal ±0 21 mi
Big Muddy River at Rte 127 at MurphysboroRiver gauge, Big Muddy River 3.37 ft Low +0.10 ft 24 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek 1.86 ft Low −0.01 ft 26 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River 8.24 ft Normal −0.01 ft 27 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River 30.17 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 34 mi
Rayse Creek near WaltonvilleRiver gauge, Rayse Creek 1.20 ft Normal −0.01 ft 37 mi

Questions and answers

How does Crab Orchard Creek near Marion compare with last year?

It is 0.55 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.17 ft.

What is a normal level for Crab Orchard Creek near Marion in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.37 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.12 ft and 3.50 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 Crab Orchard Creek near Marion today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT, the water level was 0.62 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Crab Orchard Creek near Marion rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Crab Orchard Creek near Marion normal?

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

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:05597500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.73111, -88.88917 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.62 ft 2026-10-20 13:00 Provisional
Flow 0.0 cfs 2026-10-20 13:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Crab Orchard Creek near Marion (usgs:05597500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/crab-orchard-creek-near-marion

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.