Sangamon River at Riverton water level

Name: Sangamon River at Riverton 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, Sangamon River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.55ft Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 138 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.55 ft, the Sangamon River at Riverton is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.50 ft below the median of 3.05 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 20.45 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.99 ft (+0.56 ft).

The water is rising: up 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.33 ft and 3.26 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: 3.05 ft0.50 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.11 ft – 9.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.99 ft+0.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.33 ft – 3.26 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.99 ft – 18.00 ft
Highest on record: 31.52 ftMay 19, 1943

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 23.00 ft, still 20.45 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: All lanes of Business 55 covered by water at Riverside Park just north of Springfield.
29.50 ft: IL Route 54 East of Bridge under water.
29.00 ft: Damage begins to residences at the Holiday Estates subdivision in Spaulding.
28.50 ft: Water begins to impact Riverton sewage treatment plant at 100 E. Jefferson Street.
19.90 ft: Oak Crest Road just east of the river begins to flood.
19.00 ft: Large areas of farmland inundated.
18.00 ft: Waters inundate agricultural land near the river.
17.50 ft: Water starts encroaching on Wheeland Park Campground.
2.55 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.52 ft	May 19, 1943
2	30.13 ft	December 31, 2015
3	30.07 ft	May 14, 2002
4	28.28 ft	April 13, 1994
5	27.17 ft	June 8, 2008
6	26.78 ft	April 12, 1979
7	25.65 ft	May 10, 1996
8	25.42 ft	May 2, 1983
9	25.30 ft	January 15, 2005
10	24.83 ft	April 22, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.67 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 37° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 64° 37° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 70° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 72° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 73° 51° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 76° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 77° 54° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:12 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Sangamon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sangamon River at FisherRiver gauge, Sangamon River	4.69 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	72 mi
Sangamon River at MonticelloRiver gauge, Sangamon River	5.05 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	52 mi
Sangamon River at Route 48 at DecaturRiver gauge, Sangamon River	2.12 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	30 mi
Sangamon River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sangamon River	21.21 ft	Normal	+0.08 ft	4.0 mi
Sangamon River at PetersburgRiver gauge, Sangamon River	4.47 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Sangamon River near OakfordRiver gauge, Sangamon River	3.48 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	30 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sugar Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	9.77 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	5.0 mi
South Fork Sangamon River below RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River	4.33 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	6 mi
South Fork Sangamon River near RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Sangamon River	5.03 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Spring Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Spring Creek	1.48 ft	Low	−0.16 ft	8 mi
Lake Fork near CornlandRiver gauge, Lake Fork	8.4 cfs	Low	±0	11 mi
Lick Creek near ChathamRiver gauge, Lick Creek	11.83 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Salt Creek near GreenviewRiver gauge, Salt Creek	1.40 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Sangamon River at Riverton compare with last year?

It is 0.56 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.99 ft.

What is flood stage for the Sangamon River at Riverton?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 20.45 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Sangamon River at Riverton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.05 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.11 ft and 9.06 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 Sangamon River at Riverton today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT, the water level was 2.55 ft. Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sangamon River at Riverton rising or falling?

Up 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sangamon River at Riverton normal?

Low 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:05576500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.84313, -89.54748 (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	2.55 ft	2026-10-18 09:45	Provisional
Flow	138 cfs	2026-10-18 09:45	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/9985?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Sangamon River at Riverton water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sangamon River at Riverton (usgs:05576500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/sangamon-river-at-riverton

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