ILLINOIS FLOW REPORT

Last Updated: December 25, 2025

The latest streamflow data for Illinois presents a mixed picture, with several rivers experiencing significantly low streamflow relative to their historical averages, potentially indicating flow droughts in those regions. Notable rivers such as the Little Wabash, with a current streamflow of 134 cfs at Carmi and a striking -96.67% from normal, and the Iroquois, at Chebanse with only 122 cfs and -92.06% of the typical flow, are among those most affected. Conversely, the Big Muddy River at Murphysboro experienced an exceptionally high increase in streamflow over the last 24 hours, shooting up by 1722.66 cfs to a current flow of 111 cfs, which is still -95.38% below the expected value, suggesting recent precipitation events that did not significantly alter the overall drought conditions.

Major rivers such as the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are flowing below their averages but not at critical levels that would indicate immediate flooding concerns. The Mississippi River at Thebes is flowing at 85,700 cfs and the Illinois River at Marseilles is at 5,310 cfs. Both rivers show a slight uptick over the last day, but still remain below their respective normal flows by -50.34% and -37.62%. The Kaskaskia River is exhibiting variability, with an increase of 128.21 cfs at Cowden to 623 cfs, contrasting with a decrease further downstream at Carlyle, down by 1.01 cfs to 881 cfs, which is -66.98% from normal. This variability may be of interest to water enthusiasts for potential impacts on fishing and boating conditions. Whitewater trails, popular among paddling aficionados, may be less accessible, given the low flow conditions in many of the state's rivers. Cities along these waterways, including Lawrenceville, Mt. Carmel, and Carmi on the Wabash and Embarras rivers, respectively, may experience the ecological and recreational effects of these deviations from normal flow levels.