Mazon River near Coal City water level

Name: Mazon River near Coal City 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, Mazon River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.50ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:45 PM CDT (34 min ago)

Flow: 46.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Mazon River near Coal City is at 1.50 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.26 ft above the median of 1.24 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 10.50 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.82 ft (+0.68 ft).

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.28 ft and 2.52 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.24 ft0.26 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.75 ft – 4.22 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.82 ft+0.68 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.28 ft – 2.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.81 ft – 9.07 ft
Highest on record: 21.00 ftAugust 8, 1924

Floating and fishing near Mazon River near Coal City

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.50 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Residential structures may be threatened along Forest Drive and West Avenue west of Coal City.
22.00 ft: Structures may be threatened along Spring Road west of Coal City. Whitetie Road may be threatened west of Coal City.
20.00 ft: IL-113, Pine Bluff Road, and McArdle Road may be threatened west of Coal City. Reed Road may be threatened southwest of Coal City.
18.00 ft: Spring Road may be threatened west of Coal City.
16.00 ft: Gorman Road and Grand Ridge Road may be threatened southwest of Coal City. Widespread inundation of agricultural land occurs.
15.00 ft: Water may begin to overflow into nearby lakes along the river.
12.00 ft: Low-lying agricultural land is inundated west of Coal City.
10.00 ft: Low-lying agricultural land is inundated northwest of Coal City near the Illinois River.
8.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks along the river west of Coal City.
1.50 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	21.00 ft	August 8, 1924
2	19.70 ft	July 15, 1958
3	19.51 ft	December 4, 1982
4	18.83 ft	November 28, 1990
5	18.54 ft	September 15, 2008
6	18.50 ft	April 25, 1950
7	18.15 ft	May 15, 1970
8	18.11 ft	June 26, 1968
9	18.00 ft	April 18, 2013
10	17.88 ft	May 18, 2020

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 64° 37° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 68° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 50° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 54° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 59° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 74° 56° – Wind 16 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 52%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Illinois River at MorrisRiver gauge, Illinois River	5.22 ft	Normal	+0.36 ft	5.9 mi
Kankakee River at Inflow of Power Plant near LorenzoRiver gauge, Kankakee River	504.57 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	9 mi
Aux Sable Creek near MorrisRiver gauge, Aux Sable Creek	3.76 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	9 mi
Kankakee River near WilmingtonRiver gauge, Kankakee River	1.51 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Illinois River at SenecaRiver gauge, Illinois River	20.46 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	13 mi
Du Page River at ShorewoodRiver gauge, Du Page River	10.81 ft	Very high	−0.24 ft	18 mi
Illinois River at MarseillesRiver gauge, Illinois River	11.97 ft	High	+0.58 ft	19 mi
Hickory Creek at JolietRiver gauge, Hickory Creek	10.92 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Mazon River near Coal City compare with last year?

It is 0.68 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.82 ft.

What is flood stage for the Mazon River near Coal City?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.50 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Mazon River near Coal City in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.24 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.75 ft and 4.22 ft, based on 25 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 Mazon River near Coal City today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:45 PM CDT, the water level was 1.50 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mazon River near Coal City rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mazon River near Coal City normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:05542000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.28619, -88.35986 (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	1.50 ft	2026-10-18 19:45	Provisional
Flow	46.9 cfs	2026-10-18 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mazon River near Coal City (usgs:05542000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/mazon-river-near-coal-city

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