Salt Fork near St. Joseph water level

Name: Salt Fork near St. Joseph 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 Fork, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.20ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 14.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Salt Fork near St. Joseph, where the gauge shows 3.20 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.91 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.30 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 2.89 ft, a difference of +0.31 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.17 ft – 3.56 ft.

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

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.91 ft0.30 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.53 ft – 4.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.89 ft+0.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.17 ft – 3.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.84 ft – 18.47 ft
Highest on record: 19.06 ftFebruary 6, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.06 ft	February 6, 2008
2	18.99 ft	February 10, 1959
3	18.90 ft	February 21, 2018
4	18.75 ft	August 16, 2026
5	18.62 ft	April 21, 1964
6	18.52 ft	December 29, 2015
7	18.28 ft	June 8, 2015
8	18.26 ft	May 16, 1968
9	18.20 ft	May 16, 1990
10	18.04 ft	April 19, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.49 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 61° 34° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 49° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 71° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 72° 52° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 74° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 75° 53° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spoon River near St. JosephRiver gauge, Spoon River	4.19 ft	High	+0.02 ft	1.1 mi
Saline Branch above 1700E near UrbanaRiver gauge, Saline Branch	0.43 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	6 mi
Boneyard Creek at Lincoln Ave at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	7.49 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Boneyard Creek at UrbanaRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	10.23 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	11 mi
Boneyard Creek below 6th Street at ChampaignRiver gauge, Boneyard Creek	11.37 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Copper Slough at ChampaignRiver gauge, Copper Slough	9.91 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Middle Fork Vermilion River above OakwoodRiver gauge, Middle Fork Vermilion River	0.86 ft	Low	±0	15 mi
Sangamon River at FisherRiver gauge, Sangamon River	4.70 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

Is Salt Fork near St. Joseph higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.31 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.89 ft.

What is a normal level for Salt Fork near St. Joseph in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.53 ft and 4.17 ft, based on 22 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 Salt Fork near St. Joseph today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.20 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Salt Fork near St. Joseph rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Salt Fork near St. Joseph normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Salt Fork near St. Joseph?

The highest level on record is 19.06 ft on February 6, 2008.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03336900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.14956, -88.03364 (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	3.20 ft	2026-10-18 16:45	Provisional
Flow	14.5 cfs	2026-10-18 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Salt Fork near St. Joseph (usgs:03336900). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/salt-fork-near-st-joseph

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