Wabash River at Riverton water level

Name: Wabash 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, Wabash River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.23ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 5,850 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:02 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Wabash River at Riverton reads 5.23 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.77 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 07:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.23 ft and 5.74 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.36 ftMay 21, 1943
Forecast peak: 5.30 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 9.77 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Record stage. A repeat of March 1913 flood flow would reach an estimated 31.5 feet.
29.00 ft: Failure of Gill Township levee would flood thousands of acres including State Road 58 in western Sullivan County and railroad from Riverton to Merom Station.
28.00 ft: Water level is nearing a record stage. The top of all levees is reached. Failure of a levee causes widespread flooding of rural areas and the towns of Russellville, Illinois and eastern portion of Palestine, Illinois. Illinois 33 about 2 miles south of Heathsville, Illinois begins to flood. River cabins are washing away. Many evacuations are necessary.
26.00 ft: Major flood in progress. Sandbagging possible in Hutsonville and on local levees. Gill Township Flood Gage at Riverton is installed. State Road 154 between Hutsonville and Graysville is closed. All river roads improved or otherwise are flooded, some by several feet of water. East side of Palestine extensively flooded including all of Leaverton Park. Wabash River levees on the Illinois side in Lawrence County Illinois may fail.
25.50 ft: Approaching major flooding with sandbagging possible in Hutsonville and on local levees. Installation of Gill Township Flood Gage at Riverton is necessary if river continues to rise. State Road 154 between Hutsonville and Graysville is closed. All river roads improved or otherwise are flooded, some by several feet of water. East side of Palestine extensively flooded including all of Leaverton Park.
24.00 ft: Extensive flooding is in progress. Most levees are at critical levels. Water level near the top of a few levees. High water begins to affect residences in eastern Palestine, Illinois and those along East River Road just southeast of Palestine. Some evacuations are necessary. Rodeo area in Leaverton Park begins to flood. Water near or over East River Road south of Palestine.
22.00 ft: Flooding becomes more serious. Water is approaching critical levels on most levees. Flooding enters some river cabins. Flooding is at the outskirts of Palestine and Russellville, Illinois. Flood waters near Illinois 33 between Palestine and Hutsonville, Illinois. Many local river roads are flooded.
21.00 ft: Shortcut (gravel road) to Riverton floods at 20 to 21 feet as Wabash River backs up Turtle Creek a few miles south of Merom.
20.70 ft: Leaverton Park at Palestine, Illinois extensively floods including the campground area. Rodeo area still dry at this level. Most if not all local unimproved roads leading to the Wabash River in the Palestine area are impassable by any land vehicle. Extensive backwater flooding of Minnow Slough, Sugar Creek and Lamotte Creek in Palestine area. Numerous river cabins surrounded by water across the river from Merom Bluff. Backyards of a few residences southeast of Palestine along East River Road flood.
20.00 ft: Extensive flooding is in progress. Higher rural roads begin to flood. High water isolates many river cabins. Seep water becomes a problem.
18.50 ft: High water surrounds elevated river cabins. County roads to these cabins are impassable. Agricultural flooding is in progress. Seep water develops behind levees.
18.00 ft: Extensive lowland flooding is in progress. High water surrounds many river cabins. Access to most river cabins is by boat only. Levees begin to protect farmland. Extensive flooding of Leaverton Park occurs in Palestine, Illinois.
5.23 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.36 ft	May 21, 1943
2	27.20 ft	April 26, 2013
3	26.56 ft	June 10, 2008
4	26.40 ft	March 28, 1913
5	26.11 ft	January 17, 2005
6	25.83 ft	June 18, 1958
7	25.78 ft	May 3, 2011
8	25.20 ft	January 18, 1950
9	24.97 ft	January 3, 2016
10	24.46 ft	March 1, 1985

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 67° 39° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 71° 46° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 74° 49° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 74° 51° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 74° 50° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 76° 50° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 65° 54° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Wabash River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wabash River at WabashRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	153 mi
Wabash River at PeruRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	144 mi
Wabash River at LogansportRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	±0	135 mi
Wabash River at DelphiRiver gauge, Wabash River	3.05 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	118 mi
Wabash River at LafayetteRiver gauge, Wabash River	2.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	103 mi
Wabash River at IndependenceRiver gauge, Wabash River	6.03 ft	No reference yet	−0.53 ft	93 mi
Wabash River at CovingtonRiver gauge, Wabash River	6.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.66 ft	78 mi
Wabash River at MontezumaRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	54 mi
Wabash River at Terre HauteRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	32 mi
Wabash River at Memorial Bridge at VincennesRiver gauge, Wabash River	4.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	23 mi
Wabash River at Mount CarmelRiver gauge, Wabash River	4.01 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	44 mi
Wabash River at New HarmonyRiver gauge, Wabash River	2.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	65 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Busseron Creek near CarlisleRiver gauge, Busseron Creek	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	8 mi
North Fork Embarras River near OblongRiver gauge, North Fork Embarras River	2.12 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Embarras River at LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Embarras River	16.72 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Bee Hunter Ditch at LintonRiver gauge, Bee Hunter Ditch	0.3 cfs	Normal	±0	22 mi
White River near EdwardsportRiver gauge, White River	5.07 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	23 mi
Embarras River at Ste. MarieRiver gauge, Embarras River	0.83 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	25 mi
Smothers Creek near PlainvilleRiver gauge, Smothers Creek	6.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	28 mi
White River at NewberryRiver gauge, White River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wabash River at Riverton?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.77 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 Wabash River at Riverton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 5.23 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wabash River at Riverton rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wabash River at Riverton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wabash River at Riverton?

The highest level on record is 29.36 ft on May 21, 1943.

Is Wabash River at Riverton expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Wednesday, October 28 at 07:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03342000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.02032, -87.56863 (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	5.23 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional
Flow	5,850 cfs	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wabash River at Riverton (usgs:03342000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/wabash-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