Kankakee River river
Total streamflow across the Kankakee River was last observed at 10,116 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 20,065 acre-ft of water today; about 67% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 15,065 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2018-02-22 when daily discharge volume was observed at 79,130 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kankakee River Near Wilmington reporting a streamflow rate of 3,470 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kankakee River At Davis with a gauge stage of 6.24 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Kankakee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 682 ft, the Kankakee River At Davis.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kankakee River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kankakee River
All 6 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kankakee River At Davis
IN
USGS 05515500
|
536 | 6.24 | 0.8 | 100% | 148 | 2,140 | 682 |
|
Kankakee River At Dunns Bridge
IN
USGS 05517500
|
1,230 | 4.65 | -0.8 | 100% | 287 | 5,660 | 667 |
|
Kankakee River Nr Kouts
IN
USGS 05517530
|
1,260 | 5.45 | -0.8 | 95% | 272 | 5,630 | 654 |
|
Kankakee River At Shelby
IN
USGS 05518000
|
1,600 | 6.00 | -1.2 | 88% | 302 | 6,360 | 647 |
|
Kankakee River At Momence
IL
USGS 05520500
|
2,020 | 2.19 | -1.5 | 96% | 327 | 12,100 | 610 |
|
Kankakee River Near Wilmington
IL
USGS 05527500
|
3,470 | 1.93 | 7.1 | 73% | 445 | 61,800 | 511 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Kankakee River
The Kankakee River is a 133-mile river that flows through Indiana and Illinois. It was historically used for transportation and provided a source of water for agriculture. The river has a diverse ecosystem, with over 200 species of fish, including several endangered species. The river's hydrology has been altered by the construction of several reservoirs and dams, including the Kankakee River State Park Dam and the Wilmington Dam. These dams have been built for flood control, hydroelectric power, and recreation. The river is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and camping. The river and its surrounding wetlands also provide important habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Agriculturally, the river is used as a source of irrigation for corn, soybeans, and other crops.
Recreation along the Kankakee River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kankakee River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Kankakee River
Where does the data for the Kankakee River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.