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Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago water level

Canal gauge, Indiana Harbor Canal, Indiana, United States

Directions

Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

9.78ft Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
76.1 cfs
10 13 Highest onrecord 14.35 ft Minor floodstage 13.00 ft

History

History
1012ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 21Minor flood stage1012ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Minor flood stage
Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago, where the gauge shows 9.78 ft.

It is 3.22 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 3.22 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 8.75 ft – 11.10 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record
14.35 ftApril 30, 2020

What happens at each level

18.00 ft
I-90 threatened near 141st Street in Hammond.
16.00 ft
Numerous residences threatened near East Chicago Central High School.
15.00 ft
Without flood protection, numerous roadways and structures are threatened near Lake George and Wolf Lake in Hammond and Whiting. Indianapolis Boulevard threatened near McShane Avenue in East Chicago. Gary Airport service road threatened.
14.50 ft
Without flood protection, park land and athletic fields are inundated near Wolf Lake and Lake George in Hammond and Whiting.
14.00 ft
Without flood protection, US-41 (Calumet Avenue) is threatened at 129 Street and at I-90 in Hammond.
13.00 ft
Without flood protection, water begins to move through the Lake George Canal into Lake George and Wolf Lake in Hammond and Whiting.
12.00 ft
Low-lying sections of Goodman Park threatened in East Chicago.
11.50 ft
Water overtops low-lying banks along Grand Calumet River at the confluence with the Indiana Harbor Canal.
11.00 ft
Water overtops low-lying banks along the Indiana Harbor Canal and the Lake George Canal in Hammond and East Chicago.
9.78 ft
Right now
9.00 ft
Water begins to flow toward the Calumet River through the Indiana Harbor Canal and the Grand Calumet River.

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
114.35 ftApril 30, 2020
214.28 ftAugust 11, 2020
314.25 ftJanuary 11, 2020
414.12 ftJune 3, 2020
514.05 ftJuly 20, 2019
614.04 ftDecember 1, 2019
713.95 ftOctober 31, 2019
813.95 ftJuly 10, 2020
913.79 ftJune 1, 2019
1013.76 ftOctober 2, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 41° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 68° 42° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 68° 46° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 71° 56° – Wind 6 mph
24 Sat 71° 57° – Wind 8 mph
25 Sun 72° 59° – Wind 7 mph
26 Mon 70° 52° 0.02 in Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Grand Calumet River at Columbia Av at HammondRiver gauge, Grand Calumet River 6.12 ft Low +0.16 ft 2.7 mi
Grand Calumet River at Industrial Highway at GaryRiver gauge, Grand Calumet River 403 cfs Low +10.0 cfs 4.8 mi
Little Calumet River at HighlandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River 8.08 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 5.5 mi
Little Calumet River near HammondRiver gauge, Little Calumet River 6.09 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 5.6 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River 5.41 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 5.7 mi
Little Calumet River at Northcote Av at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River 9.94 ft Below flood stage ±0 5.8 mi
Hart Ditch at MunsterCanal gauge, Hart Ditch 0.75 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 6.1 mi
Little Calumet River at Burr Street at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River 4.31 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 7 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 3.22 ft below it.

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 Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT, the water level was 9.78 ft. Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago rising or falling?

Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.93 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago?

The highest level on record is 14.35 ft on April 30, 2020.

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:04092750 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.64918, -87.46862 (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 9.78 ft 2026-10-21 05:00 Provisional
Flow 76.1 cfs 2026-10-21 05:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Indiana Harbor Canal at East Chicago (usgs:04092750). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/indiana-harbor-canal-at-east-chicago

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.