Salt Creek at Valparaiso water level

Name: Salt Creek at Valparaiso 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, Salt Creek, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT (52 min ago)

Flow: 10.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Salt Creek at Valparaiso is at 3.22 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.78 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.20 ft and 3.35 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.48 ftFebruary 21, 2018

Floating and fishing near Salt Creek at Valparaiso

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

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 4.78 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.50 ft: Numerous structures are threatened near the creek and US-30 in Valparaiso. IN-2 is threatened at the creek in Valparaiso. Danvers Parkway is threatened in Valparaiso.
12.50 ft: N 50 W threatened southwest of Valparaiso.
12.00 ft: A few structures are threatened near US-30 and Horse Prairie Avenue. West Street threatened at the creek in Valparaiso.
11.50 ft: US-30 threatened at the creek in Valparaiso. Horse Prairie Avenue is threatened between US-30 and West Street.
11.00 ft: Kuehl Pollution Control Facility property is threatened in Valparaiso.
9.00 ft: Water overtops banks along Factory Street.
8.00 ft: Low-lying sections of First Tee Golf Course are inundated northwest of Valparaiso.
7.50 ft: Zao Island Entertainment Center is threatened in Valparaiso.
6.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks near US-30 and West Street.
3.22 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.48 ft	February 21, 2018
2	8.25 ft	August 22, 2014
3	7.36 ft	September 27, 2019
4	7.26 ft	July 29, 2011
5	7.20 ft	May 15, 2020
6	7.05 ft	August 18, 2015
7	6.94 ft	June 26, 2013
8	6.77 ft	August 15, 2016

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:05 AM Sunset 06:03 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on Salt Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.34 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	64 mi
Salt Creek at Higgins Road near Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.40 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	62 mi
Salt Creek at Elk Grove VillageRiver gauge, Salt Creek	12.12 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	61 mi
Salt Creek at Wood DaleRiver gauge, Salt Creek	7.11 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	58 mi
Salt Creek at ElmhurstRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.24 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	54 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek	48.12 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	52 mi
Salt Creek at Western SpringsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	1.80 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	50 mi
Salt Creek near Farmer CityRiver gauge, Salt Creek	689.76 ft	Normal	±0	119 mi
Salt Creek near RowellRiver gauge, Salt Creek	9.09 ft	Normal	±0	139 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Deep River at Grand Blvd at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Deep River	3.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Deep River at Lake George Outlet at HobartRiver gauge, Deep River	4.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	11 mi
Little Calumet River at PorterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Portage-Burns Waterway at PortageCanal gauge, Portage-Burns Waterway	4.86 ft	Normal	+0.51 ft	12 mi
Turkey Creek at 61st Av at MerrillvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	5.54 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	13 mi
Deep River near LiverpoolRiver gauge, Deep River	5.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	14 mi
Little Calumet River near Lake StationRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	3.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	14 mi
Kankakee River near KoutsRiver gauge, Kankakee River	5.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Salt Creek at Valparaiso?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.78 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 Salt Creek at Valparaiso today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Creek at Valparaiso rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Salt Creek at Valparaiso normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Salt Creek at Valparaiso?

The highest level on record is 8.48 ft on February 21, 2018.

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:04094400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.46472, -87.07056 (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	3.22 ft	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional
Flow	10.5 cfs	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Creek at Valparaiso (usgs:04094400). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/salt-creek-at-valparaiso

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