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Little Wabash River below Clay City water level

River gauge, Little Wabash River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.51ft Up 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
112 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 26.67 ft Minor floodstage 18.00 ft

History

History
51015ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage51015ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
1020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Little Wabash River below Clay City is at 5.51 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.32 ft above typical. It is 12.49 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.98 ft, a difference of +1.53 ft.

It has risen 1.64 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 12.49 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 3.84 ft and 5.72 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.19 ft1.32 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.29 ft – 12.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
3.98 ft+1.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.84 ft – 5.72 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.85 ft – 22.38 ft
Highest on record
26.67 ftJanuary 5, 1950

Floating and fishing near Little Wabash River below Clay City

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 12.49 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft
North Clay Road...1 mile east of the gage is flooded.
19.70 ft
Mayflower Road...just north of U.S. Route 50...begins to flood.
19.00 ft
2600E Road begins to flood 1.5 miles south of Wynoose.
18.50 ft
Wilcox Bridge Lane floods just east of the Little Wabash River near the gage location. Blueflower Lane southeast of the gage begins to flood.
18.00 ft
Water begins to flood left bank farmland.
16.00 ft
Minor flooding begins to wooded areas and agricultural land immediately adjacent to the river.
5.51 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 63 %.

RankLevelDate
126.67 ftJanuary 5, 1950
226.61 ftMay 10, 1961
326.30 ftAugust 22, 1915
426.19 ftMay 19, 1995
525.97 ftDecember 30, 2015
625.80 ftMay 20, 1943
725.45 ftJanuary 7, 2005
825.10 ftJanuary 31, 1916
924.91 ftDecember 23, 1967
1024.76 ftMay 17, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 69° 36° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 70° 45° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 75° 50° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 76° 53° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 76° 54° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 78° 51° – Wind 8 mph
25 Sun 77° 56° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Wabash River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Wabash River near EffinghamRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 10.42 ft Normal ±0 36 mi
Little Wabash River near Golden GateRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 4.88 ft Normal −0.15 ft 18 mi
Little Wabash River at Main St at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 3.30 ft Normal −0.04 ft 38 mi
Little Wabash River at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River 2.47 ft Normal −0.01 ft 40 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bonpas Creek at BrownsRiver gauge, Bonpas Creek 1.64 ft Normal −0.42 ft 24 mi
Skillet Fork at Wayne CityRiver gauge, Skillet Fork 4.13 ft Very low +0.04 ft 24 mi
Embarras River at Ste. MarieRiver gauge, Embarras River 0.84 ft Normal −0.03 ft 26 mi
North Fork Embarras River near OblongRiver gauge, North Fork Embarras River 2.12 ft Normal ±0 32 mi
Wabash River at Mount CarmelRiver gauge, Wabash River 4.02 ft Normal −0.10 ft 33 mi
Embarras River at LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Embarras River 16.73 ft Low ±0 35 mi
Casey Fork at Mount VernonRiver gauge, Casey Fork 1.58 ft Normal −0.03 ft 39 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little Wabash River below Clay City higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.53 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.98 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little Wabash River below Clay City?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 12.49 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Wabash River below Clay City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.29 ft and 12.48 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 Little Wabash River below Clay City today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 5.51 ft. Up 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Wabash River below Clay City rising or falling?

Up 1.64 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 1.48 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Wabash River below Clay City normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:03379500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.63472, -88.29722 (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 5.51 ft 2026-10-19 14:30 Provisional
Flow 112 cfs 2026-10-19 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Wabash River below Clay City (usgs:03379500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/little-wabash-river-below-clay-city

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.