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Sugar Creek at Milford water level

River gauge, Sugar Creek, Illinois, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.82ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
21.2 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 28.66 ft Minor floodstage 18.00 ft

History

468ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 18468ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
468ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18468ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
5101520ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage5101520ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
5101520ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20265101520ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Sugar Creek at Milford: the gauge reads 2.82 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.39 ft below the median of 3.21 ft for mid-October, based on 33 years of readings. It is 15.18 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.58 ft (+0.24 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.81 ft – 3.27 ft.

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
3.21 ft0.39 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.68 ft – 8.75 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year
2.58 ft+0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.81 ft – 3.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.60 ft – 19.33 ft
Highest on record
28.66 ftJanuary 8, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft
Structures threatened in Woodland. IL-1 (Chicago Street) threatened in Milford.
27.50 ft
Numerous residences threatened in southwest Milford. County road 1400N threatened in Woodland.
27.00 ft
County road 980N threatened in Milford.
26.00 ft
Widespread inundation of structures and roadways begins in southwest Watseka. County road 1200N threatened south of Woodland.
25.00 ft
Structures threatened in southwest Watseca. County road 980N threatened west of Milford. Widespread flooding of agricultural areas.
24.00 ft
US-24 (Lafayette Street) threatened in west Watseka.
19.00 ft
Structures threatened in southwest Milford.
18.00 ft
County road 1090N threatened east of the river north of Milford. Recreation fields inundated near the river in southwest Milford. Roadways are threatened at Legion Park in Watseka.
17.00 ft
Low-lying sections of Legion Park are inundated in Watseka.
15.00 ft
Low-lying areas near the river begin to flood.
2.82 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: 24 %.

RankLevelDate
128.66 ftJanuary 8, 2008
228.49 ftFebruary 21, 2018
328.16 ftApril 12, 1994
426.32 ftDecember 29, 2015
525.85 ftJune 18, 1996
624.28 ftJune 12, 2004
723.74 ftFebruary 10, 1959
823.63 ftMarch 11, 2009
923.33 ftMarch 5, 1979
1023.22 ftJuly 13, 1957

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on Sugar Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Sugar Creek near ThorntownRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 25.0 cfs Normal −1.1 cfs 64 mi
Sugar Creek at CrawfordsvilleRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 3.01 ft Very high −0.05 ft 59 mi
Sugar Creek at West Terre HauteRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 1.50 ft No reference yet −0.09 ft 82 mi
Sugar Creek at New PalestineRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 3.03 ft Below flood stage −0.27 ft 116 mi
Sugar Creek near BoggstownRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 108 cfs High −53.0 cfs 120 mi
Sugar Creek near EdinburghRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 4.27 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 127 mi
Sugar Creek at Covered Bridge Road near ChathamRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 17.42 ft No reference yet −0.11 ft 123 mi
Sugar Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 9.77 ft Low +0.02 ft 115 mi
Sugar Creek near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 1.08 ft Normal −0.02 ft 69 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Iroquois River at IroquoisRiver gauge, Iroquois River 5.58 ft Normal −0.03 ft 15 mi
North Fork Vermilion River near BismarckRiver gauge, North Fork Vermilion River 4.93 ft Normal −0.03 ft 26 mi
Iroquois River near ChebanseRiver gauge, Iroquois River 2.88 ft Normal −0.05 ft 27 mi
Iroquois River near ForesmanRiver gauge, Iroquois River 5.41 ft Below flood stage −0.08 ft 27 mi
Big Pine Creek at Pine VillageRiver gauge, Big Pine Creek 4.01 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 28 mi
Carpenter Creek at RemingtonRiver gauge, Carpenter Creek 3.37 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 31 mi
Middle Fork Vermilion River above OakwoodRiver gauge, Middle Fork Vermilion River 0.85 ft Low −0.01 ft 34 mi
Spoon River near St. JosephRiver gauge, Spoon River 4.17 ft High −0.01 ft 36 mi

Questions and answers

How does Sugar Creek at Milford compare with last year?

It is 0.24 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.58 ft.

What is flood stage for Sugar Creek at Milford?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 15.18 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Sugar Creek at Milford in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.21 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.68 ft and 8.75 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 Sugar Creek at Milford today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.82 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sugar Creek at Milford rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Sugar Creek at Milford normal?

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:05525500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.62992, -87.72353 (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 2.82 ft 2026-10-18 21:00 Provisional
Flow 21.2 cfs 2026-10-18 21:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sugar Creek at Milford (usgs:05525500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/sugar-creek-at-milford

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