Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect water level

Name: Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect 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, Mc Donald Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

0.91ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 2.9 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 Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect, where the gauge shows 0.91 ft.

The median for mid-October is 0.90 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.01 ft above typical. It is 4.09 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.32 ft, a difference of −0.41 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 0.80 ft – 2.63 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: 0.90 ft0.01 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.78 ft – 1.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.32 ft−0.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.80 ft – 2.63 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.63 ft – 4.12 ft
Highest on record: 8.08 ftAugust 14, 1987

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 5.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.50 ft: North Central Service railroad tracks threatened near the creek in Mt Prospect.
11.50 ft: Numerous residences threatened along the creek near Burning Bush Lane. Structures threatened at River Trails School in Mt Prospect.
9.00 ft: Mt Prospect Fire Station 14 threatened in Mt Prospect. Numerous commercial and industrial structures threatened along Foster Avenue in Wheeling. Parking lots threatened at River Trails School in Mt Prospect.
8.50 ft: Burning Bush Lane threatened in Mt Prospect.
8.00 ft: Athletic fields are inundated at Tamarack Trails Park in Mt Prospect.
7.50 ft: Camp McDonald Road threatened in Prospect Heights and Wheeling. US-45 (Des Plaines River Road) and Kensington Road are threatened in Mt Prospect.
7.00 ft: A few residences threatened along the creek between Willow Road and Euclid Avenue in Prospect Heights and Wheeling. Euclid Avenue and Wolf Road threatened in Mt Prospect.
6.00 ft: Trails inundated at Woodland Trails in Mt Prospect.
3.00 ft: Water overtops low-lying banks near the gauge in Prospect Heights and Wheeling.
0.91 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.08 ft	August 14, 1987
2	8.04 ft	July 13, 1957
3	7.73 ft	June 11, 1967
4	7.58 ft	June 20, 1972
5	7.46 ft	December 3, 1982
6	7.41 ft	June 2, 1970
7	7.40 ft	September 13, 2008
8	7.31 ft	October 11, 1954
9	7.31 ft	July 22, 1982
10	7.17 ft	July 23, 2011

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.23 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 38° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 53° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 53° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 70° 57° 0.01 in Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 72° 57° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:09 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Des Plaines River near Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	9.22 ft	High	−0.07 ft	1.4 mi
Weller Creek at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Weller Creek	0.76 ft	Normal	±0	3.2 mi
Buffalo Creek near WheelingRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	1.62 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	4.5 mi
Des Plaines River at Algonquin Road at Des PlainesRiver gauge, Des Plaines River	8.86 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	4.7 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at NorthbrookRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	0.95 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.0 mi
Wf of Nb Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Wf of Nb Chicago River	7.25 ft	Normal	±0	5.7 mi
Salt Creek at Rolling MeadowsRiver gauge, Salt Creek	2.35 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	5.8 mi
North Branch Chicago River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Chicago River	4.44 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	6 mi

Questions and answers

Is Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect higher than last year?

No, it is 0.41 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.32 ft.

What is flood stage for Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 4.09 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.90 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.78 ft and 1.62 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 Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT, the water level was 0.91 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect 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:05529500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.09530, -87.91285 (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	0.91 ft	2026-10-19 15:45	Provisional
Flow	2.9 cfs	2026-10-19 15:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mc Donald Creek near Mount Prospect (usgs:05529500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/mc-donald-creek-near-mount-prospect

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