Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage water level

Name: Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Canal gauge, Portage-Burns Waterway, Indiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.13ft Up 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 315 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage is at 5.13 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.78 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the canal level is 0.35 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 4.16 ft, a difference of +0.97 ft.

It has risen 0.41 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.23 ft and 6.74 ft.

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.78 ft0.35 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.06 ft – 7.59 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.16 ft+0.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.23 ft – 6.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.14 ft – 6.13 ft
Highest on record: 9.93 ftApril 30, 2020

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.93 ft	April 30, 2020
2	9.75 ft	October 31, 2019
3	9.49 ft	January 11, 2020
4	9.41 ft	December 1, 2019
5	9.29 ft	November 11, 2019
6	9.24 ft	August 11, 2020
7	9.22 ft	March 6, 2020
8	9.22 ft	June 1, 2019
9	9.15 ft	July 20, 2019
10	9.12 ft	June 3, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.23 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 39° – Wind 29 mph

18 Sun 62° 39° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 67° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 68° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 70° 50° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 70° 50° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Calumet River at PorterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.6 mi
Deep River near LiverpoolRiver gauge, Deep River	5.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Little Calumet River near Lake StationRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Deep River at Lake George Outlet at HobartRiver gauge, Deep River	4.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Little Calumet River at Grant St at GaryRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Turkey Creek at 61st Av at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	5.57 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	11 mi
Grand Calumet River at Industrial Highway at GaryRiver gauge, Grand Calumet River	398 cfs	Low	−14.0 cfs	11 mi
Salt Creek at ValparaisoRiver gauge, Salt Creek	3.20 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.97 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.16 ft.

What is a normal level for the Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.78 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.06 ft and 7.59 ft, based on 18 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 Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM CDT, the water level was 5.13 ft. Up 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage rising or falling?

Up 0.41 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage?

The highest level on record is 9.93 ft on April 30, 2020.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04095090 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.62224, -87.17583 (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	5.13 ft	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional
Flow	315 cfs	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Portage-Burns Waterway at Portage (usgs:04095090). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/portage-burns-waterway-at-portage

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