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Illinois River at Meredosia water level

River gauge, Illinois River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.38ft Up 0.52 ft over the last 24 hours

0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 28.86 ft Minor floodstage 17.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Minor flood stage51015ftOct 12Oct 18Oct 25Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 19Sep 28Oct 7Oct 16Oct 25Minor flood stage51015ftSep 19Oct 7Oct 25Minor flood stage
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-01020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-01020ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 01:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:17 PM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Illinois River at Meredosia reads 5.38 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.64 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.74 ft above typical. It is 11.62 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.31 ft, a difference of +4.07 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.52 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 01:00 AM. There is still 11.62 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.26 ft and 9.73 ft.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.64 ft2.74 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.67 ft – 12.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
1.31 ft+4.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.26 ft – 9.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.25 ft – 20.34 ft
Highest on record
28.86 ftJuly 2, 2015
Forecast peak
5.50 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 AM

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 17.00 ft, still 11.62 ft away.

What happens at each level

38.00 ft
Coon Run Levee is overtopped.
33.50 ft
McGee Creek Levee is overtopped.
32.00 ft
Mauvaise Terre Levee is overtopped.
31.00 ft
Meredoisa Lake Levee is overtopped.
29.80 ft
Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and Levee at route 104 overtop.
28.00 ft
Scott County and Northern Meredoisa Levees are overtopped and flood fighting activities begin at Willow Creek Lake and Dam.
27.00 ft
Flood fighting begins at Scott County... Coon Run... and Meredosia Lakes and Dams.
26.40 ft
Flood Fighting begins at Valley City Lake and Dam and floodwaters overtop Little Creek Levee.
26.00 ft
Damage begins to buildings in Meredosia. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard will consider closing the Illinois River between the LaGrange Lock and Dam and Montezuma.
25.70 ft
Cemetary Road begins flooding west of Old Naples Road.
25.40 ft
Flood Fighting begins at Little Creek Lake and Dam.
25.00 ft
Smith Lake Road is flooded south of Meredosia.
5.38 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
128.86 ftJuly 2, 2015
228.70 ftMay 26, 1943
328.69 ftApril 27, 2013
428.39 ftJune 4, 2019
528.30 ftMay 30, 1995
628.03 ftJanuary 5, 2016
727.62 ftMarch 10, 1985
827.57 ftMay 19, 2002
927.28 ftApril 19, 1979
1026.96 ftJuly 28, 1993

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.50 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 11 mph
19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 73° 52° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 75° 52° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 77° 54° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 78° 56° – Wind 11 mph
24 Sat 81° 58° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Illinois River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Illinois River at MorrisRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.52 ft Normal −0.23 ft 154 mi
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River 20.57 ft Normal −0.04 ft 144 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River 12.47 ft High −0.01 ft 142 mi
Illinois River at HenryRiver gauge, Illinois River 15.25 ft Normal +0.03 ft 109 mi
Illinois River at Kingston MinesRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.75 ft Normal −0.59 ft 65 mi
Illinois River at Copperas CreekRiver gauge, Illinois River 5.35 ft Normal −0.41 ft 57 mi
Illinois River at Valley CityRiver gauge, Illinois River 4.51 ft Normal +0.56 ft 10 mi
Illinois River at FlorenceRiver gauge, Illinois River 17.31 ft Normal +0.55 ft 14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
La Moine River at RipleyRiver gauge, La Moine River 5.58 ft Normal −0.03 ft 14 mi
Sangamon River near OakfordRiver gauge, Sangamon River 3.48 ft Normal +0.03 ft 37 mi
La Moine River at ColmarRiver gauge, La Moine River 4.41 ft Normal −0.01 ft 39 mi
Sangamon River at PetersburgRiver gauge, Sangamon River 4.45 ft Normal −0.02 ft 40 mi
Macoupin Creek near KaneRiver gauge, Macoupin Creek 3.94 ft Normal −0.06 ft 42 mi
Bear Creek near MarcellineRiver gauge, Bear Creek 2.46 ft Normal −0.03 ft 46 mi
Mason Tazewell Drainage D at Cr2350e near TopekaRiver gauge, Mason Tazewell Drainage D 15.44 ft Very high −0.01 ft 48 mi
Mason Tazewell Drainage D near Nursery near TopekaRiver gauge, Mason Tazewell Drainage D 462.01 ft No reference yet ±0 49 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Illinois River at Meredosia higher than last year?

Yes, it is 4.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.31 ft.

What is flood stage for the Illinois River at Meredosia?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 11.62 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Illinois River at Meredosia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.64 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.67 ft and 12.33 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 Illinois River at Meredosia today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT, the water level was 5.38 ft. Up 0.52 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Illinois River at Meredosia rising or falling?

Up 0.52 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.71 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Illinois River at Meredosia normal?

Normal 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:05585500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.83117, -90.55983 (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 5.38 ft 2026-10-18 14:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Illinois River at Meredosia (usgs:05585500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/illinois-river-at-meredosia

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