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Flag Creek near Willow Springs water level

River gauge, Flag Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.37ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
19.6 cfs
3 5 8 10 Highest onrecord 10.57 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

3.03.54.0ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17Oct 183.03.54.0ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18
35810ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 18Minor flood stage35810ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 18Minor flood stage
35810ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage35810ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
46ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202646ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Flag Creek near Willow Springs, where the gauge shows 3.37 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.17 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.20 ft above typical. It is 6.63 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.25 ft, a difference of −0.88 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.26 ft – 6.47 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.17 ft0.20 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.00 ft – 3.67 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
4.25 ft−0.88 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.26 ft – 6.47 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.18 ft – 6.47 ft
Highest on record
10.57 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 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft
German Church Road is threatened in Willow Springs.
15.00 ft
Widespread inundation of the floodplain in Burr Ridge and Willow Springs affects numerous residences, structures, and roadways.
14.50 ft
Structures are threatened at Score Sports Center in Willow Springs. Residences are threatened along Hess Lane at Wolf Road in Willow Springs.
14.00 ft
Pleasantview Fire Station 2 is threatened in Burr Ridge. 79th Street is threatened near the creek in Burr Ridge.
13.50 ft
Residences threatened along Wolf Road near 79th Street in Burr Ridge. Wolf Road is threatened north of German Church Road in Willow Springs.
12.50 ft
Wolf Road is threatened near 79th Street in Burr Ridge. Hess Lane is threatened near Wolf Road in Willow Springs.
12.00 ft
A few structures are threatened near Wolf Road and German Church Road in Willow Springs. 91st Street is threatened west of the creek in Willow Springs.
11.00 ft
Vale Court threatened near the creek in Willow Springs.
10.50 ft
Score Sports Center parking lot is threatened in Willow Springs.
10.00 ft
Orchard Road is threatened at 91st Street in Willow Springs. Athletic fields are threatened at Walker Park in Burr Ridge.
3.37 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
110.57 ftApril 18, 2013
210.37 ftJuly 18, 1996
310.36 ftJuly 24, 2010
410.22 ftJune 13, 1976
510.06 ftAugust 22, 2014
69.87 ftMay 9, 1990
79.86 ftJuly 2, 1983
89.70 ftApril 18, 1975
99.34 ftFebruary 21, 1997
109.02 ftJune 9, 2011

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.59 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 38° – Wind 12 mph
18 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 69° 53° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 69° 53° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 71° 56° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 72° 56° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sawmill Creek near LemontRiver gauge, Sawmill Creek 8.46 ft Normal −0.07 ft 4.0 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal 25.45 ft Very high −0.07 ft 4.8 mi
Stony Creek (West) near WorthRiver gauge, Stony Creek (West) 25.55 ft Normal −0.23 ft 4.9 mi
Salt Creek at Western SpringsRiver gauge, Salt Creek 1.91 ft Normal −0.27 ft 6.0 mi
Des Plaines River at LyonsRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 11.11 ft Normal −0.50 ft 6 mi
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at LemontRiver gauge, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal 25.26 ft Normal +0.16 ft 7 mi
Des Plaines River at RiversideRiver gauge, Des Plaines River 2.61 ft Normal −0.25 ft 7 mi
Salt Creek at 22nd Street at Oak BrookRiver gauge, Salt Creek 48.21 ft Normal −0.26 ft 8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Flag Creek near Willow Springs higher than last year?

No, it is 0.88 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.25 ft.

What is flood stage for Flag Creek near Willow Springs?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 6.63 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Flag Creek near Willow Springs in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.00 ft and 3.67 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 Flag Creek near Willow Springs today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.37 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Flag Creek near Willow Springs rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Flag Creek near Willow Springs 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:05533000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
41.73894, -87.89686 (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 3.37 ft 2026-10-18 23:15 Provisional
Flow 19.6 cfs 2026-10-18 23:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Flag Creek near Willow Springs (usgs:05533000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/flag-creek-near-willow-springs

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