Deer Creek near Chicago Heights water level

Name: Deer Creek near Chicago Heights 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, Deer Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.21ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 5.5 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.21 ft, Deer Creek near Chicago Heights is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 4.47 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.26 ft below typical. It is 6.79 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.04 ft, a difference of −0.83 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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: 4.47 ft1.26 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.31 ft – 5.56 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.04 ft−0.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.21 ft – 6.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.02 ft – 10.26 ft
Highest on record: 12.87 ftSeptember 15, 2008

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 6.79 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Industrial structures east of the creek are threatened south of Ford Heights.
15.00 ft: Cottage Grove Avenue is threatened near the creek in Sauk Village.
14.50 ft: Medgar Evans Center is threatened in Ford Heights. Industrial structures west of the creek are threatened south of Ford Heights.
14.00 ft: Numerous residences are threatened along Deer Creek Drive in Ford Heights. US30 is threatened in Ford Heights.
13.00 ft: Numerous residences are threatened along Deer Creek Drive in Ford Heights. Sauk Trail is threatened near the creek east of Steger. Joe Orr Road is threatened north of Ford Heights.
12.00 ft: Structures are threatened near Cottage Grove Avenue in Glenwood. Kennedy Lane is threatened in Ford Heights.
10.00 ft: Water overtops numerous low-lying banks in Steger and Ford Heights.
9.00 ft: Low-lying agricultural land is inundated north of Ford Heights.
3.21 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.87 ft	September 15, 2008
2	12.37 ft	August 24, 2007
3	12.16 ft	April 17, 2006
4	11.98 ft	June 27, 2019
5	11.98 ft	February 21, 2018
6	11.83 ft	June 10, 2011
7	11.79 ft	November 28, 1990
8	11.75 ft	July 13, 1957
9	11.58 ft	March 4, 1979
10	11.58 ft	May 1, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.73 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 58° 39° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 63° 40° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 53° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 52° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 55° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 71° 55° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on Deer Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Deer Creek near DelphiRiver gauge, Deer Creek	1.84 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	82 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thorn Creek at GlenwoodRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.59 ft	Very low	±0	1.8 mi
Lansing Ditch near LansingRiver gauge, Lansing Ditch	5.44 ft	High	+0.01 ft	3.2 mi
Butterfield Creek at FlossmoorRiver gauge, Butterfield Creek	4.07 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	3.3 mi
Thorn Creek at ThorntonRiver gauge, Thorn Creek	2.87 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	3.4 mi
Hart Ditch at DyerCanal gauge, Hart Ditch	2.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.2 mi
Little Calumet River at MunsterRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	5.3 mi
Plum Creek near CreteRiver gauge, Plum Creek	7.66 ft	Normal	±0	6.0 mi
Little Calumet River at South HollandRiver gauge, Little Calumet River	5.51 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	6.0 mi

Questions and answers

Is Deer Creek near Chicago Heights higher than last year?

No, it is 0.83 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.04 ft.

What is flood stage for Deer Creek near Chicago Heights?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 6.79 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Deer Creek near Chicago Heights in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.47 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.31 ft and 5.56 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 Deer Creek near Chicago Heights today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.21 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Deer Creek near Chicago Heights rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Deer Creek near Chicago Heights 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:05536235 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.52086, -87.59014 (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	3.21 ft	2026-10-19 00:00	Provisional
Flow	5.5 cfs	2026-10-19 00:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Deer Creek near Chicago Heights (usgs:05536235). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/deer-creek-near-chicago-heights

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