Thorn Creek at Glenwood water level

Name: Thorn Creek at Glenwood 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, Thorn Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 23.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Thorn Creek at Glenwood is running far below normal at 2.57 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.02 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.45 ft below typical. It is 5.93 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.18 ft, a difference of −0.61 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.51 ft and 3.95 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.02 ft0.45 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.70 ft – 3.59 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.18 ft−0.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.51 ft – 3.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.55 ft – 7.40 ft
Highest on record: 11.14 ftJuly 13, 1957

Floating and fishing near Thorn Creek at Glenwood

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 8.50 ft, 5.93 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Thorn Creek Basin Water Treatment Plant property threatened in Chicago Heights. A few residences are threatened near US-30 in Chicago Heights.
12.50 ft: Halsted Street threatened at IL-1 in Chicago Heights.
12.00 ft: Residences threatened along Parkside Avenue and Union Avenue in Chicago Heights. Joe Orr Road threatened in Chicago Heights.
11.50 ft: Structures threatened at US-30 in Chicago Heights. US-30 threatened in Chicago Heights. Chicago Road threatened in Chicago Heights.
9.50 ft: Low-lying sections of Joe Orr Woods are inundated.
9.00 ft: Edgewood Avenue is threatened near US-30 in Chicago Heights.
7.50 ft: Low-lying sections of Halsted Woods are inundated.
7.00 ft: Low-lying sections of Thorn Creek Trail are inundated in Chicago Heights.
2.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.14 ft	July 13, 1957
2	11.07 ft	June 13, 1981
3	11.03 ft	June 7, 1974
4	11.00 ft	September 13, 2008
5	10.98 ft	December 3, 1982
6	10.90 ft	May 22, 1982
7	10.56 ft	February 20, 2018
8	10.49 ft	June 1, 1989
9	10.49 ft	December 24, 1965
10	10.34 ft	April 18, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 69° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 39° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 71° 42° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 73° 57° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 57° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 57° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 72° 59° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Other gauges on Thorn Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thorn Creek at ThorntonRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.80 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	2.7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Butterfield Creek at FlossmoorRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	4.03 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	1.5 mi
Deer Creek near Chicago HeightsRiver gauge, Deer Creek	3.19 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	1.8 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.57 ft	High	+0.12 ft	4.8 mi
Calumet Union Drainage Canal near MarkhamRiver gauge, Calumet Union Drainage Canal	2.31 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.1 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.52 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	5.5 mi
Hart Ditch at DyerCanal gauge, Hart Ditch	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6.0 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	6.1 mi
Plum Creek near CreteRiver gauge, Plum Creek	7.68 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is Thorn Creek at Glenwood higher than last year?

No, it is 0.61 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.18 ft.

What is flood stage for Thorn Creek at Glenwood?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 5.93 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Thorn Creek at Glenwood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.02 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.70 ft and 3.59 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 Thorn Creek at Glenwood today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Thorn Creek at Glenwood rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Thorn Creek at Glenwood normal?

Very low 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:05536215 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.53022, -87.62258 (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	2.57 ft	2026-10-19 19:15	Provisional
Flow	23.1 cfs	2026-10-19 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Thorn Creek at Glenwood (usgs:05536215). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/thorn-creek-at-glenwood

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