Des Plaines River at Riverside water level

Name: Des Plaines River at Riverside 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, Des Plaines River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.97ft Down 0.73 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 703 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Des Plaines River at Riverside, where the gauge shows 2.97 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.07 ft, based on 32 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.10 ft below typical. It is 4.53 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.81 ft, a difference of +1.16 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.73 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.79 ft – 5.87 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.07 ft0.10 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.79 ft – 4.57 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.81 ft+1.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.79 ft – 5.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.61 ft – 7.08 ft
Highest on record: 11.28 ftApril 18, 2013

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 7.50 ft.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: Water reaches the top of the west bank levees in Lyons and McCook.
12.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the levees in Lyons and McCook.
11.50 ft: Widespread inundation of industrial property and structures north of the river in McCook. Numerous residences threatened near the river in Lyons.
11.00 ft: Structures threatened at Brookfield Zoo.
10.50 ft: Residences threatened between river and 39th Street in Riverside. Without flood protection from levees, widespread inundation of industrial property and structures would occur north of the river in McCook.
10.00 ft: US-34 (Ogden Avenue) threatened along the River in Lyons.
9.50 ft: Parking areas at Brookfield Zoo threatened. Industrial parking area near the river and I-55 is threatened.
9.00 ft: Residences threatened near the confluence of Des Plaines River and Salt Creek.
8.50 ft: IL-171 (1st Avenue) threatened near Brookfield Zoo. Water may begin to overflow into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal near Willow Springs.
8.00 ft: Park areas are inundated near the confluence of Des Plaines River and Salt Creek.
7.50 ft: Low-lying sections of Miller Meadow, Indian Gardens, Cermak Woods, Ottawa Trail Woods, and other forest land along the river are inundated.
7.00 ft: Water begins to overflow banks in adjacent forest preserve areas.
2.97 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: 13 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.28 ft	April 18, 2013
2	10.00 ft	May 18, 2020
3	9.90 ft	August 15, 1987
4	9.87 ft	September 14, 2008
5	9.82 ft	January 26, 1969
6	9.24 ft	July 24, 2010
7	9.15 ft	February 21, 2014
8	8.89 ft	January 25, 1960
9	8.80 ft	October 4, 1986
10	8.60 ft	October 15, 2017

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.38 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 38° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 60° 39° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 49° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 69° 53° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 54° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 70° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 73° 58° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Des Plaines River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River at RussellRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	4.73 ft	High	+0.14 ft	46 mi
Des Plaines River near GurneeRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	3.02 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	37 mi
Des Plaines River at LincolnshireRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	7.62 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	27 mi
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.38 ft	High	−0.15 ft	19 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.10 ft	Normal	−0.26 ft	15 mi
Des Plaines River at River ForestRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	5.29 ft	Normal	−1.22 ft	4.7 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	11.77 ft	Normal	−0.92 ft	1.2 mi
Des Plaines River near LemontRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	6.96 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	15 mi
Des Plaines River at Route 53 at JolietRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	538.97 ft	Normal	±0	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at StickneyRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal	−1.95 ft	Very high	+0.35 ft	3.5 mi
Salt Creek at Western SpringsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.28 ft	Normal	−0.71 ft	4.0 mi
Addison Creek at BellwoodRiver gauge, Addison Creek	1.80 ft	Very high	−0.66 ft	4.8 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek	48.56 ft	Normal	−0.69 ft	6.2 mi
Flag Creek near Willow SpringsRiver gauge, Flag Creek	3.40 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	7 mi
Chicago S & South Canal at Western Ave at ChicagoRiver gauge, Chicago S & South Canal	−1.87 ft	Normal	+0.38 ft	7 mi
Salt Creek at ElmhurstRiver gauge, Salt Creek	5.60 ft	Normal	−0.65 ft	8 mi
Stony Creek (West) near WorthRiver gauge, Stony Creek (West)	25.87 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Des Plaines River at Riverside higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.16 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.81 ft.

What is flood stage for the Des Plaines River at Riverside?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 4.53 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Des Plaines River at Riverside in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.07 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.79 ft and 4.57 ft, based on 32 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 Des Plaines River at Riverside today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 01:45 PM CDT, the water level was 2.97 ft. Down 0.73 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Des Plaines River at Riverside rising or falling?

Down 0.73 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Des Plaines River at Riverside normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:05532500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.82149, -87.82204 (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	2.97 ft	2026-10-17 18:45	Provisional
Flow	703 cfs	2026-10-17 18:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Des Plaines River at Riverside (usgs:05532500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/des-plaines-river-at-riverside

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