Kaskaskia River river
Total streamflow across the Kaskaskia River was last observed at 16,650 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 33,025 acre-ft of water today; about 96% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 17,347 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2015-12-30 when daily discharge volume was observed at 129,500 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Kaskaskia River At New Athens reporting a streamflow rate of 4,540 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Kaskaskia River, with a gauge stage of 74.44 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Kaskaskia River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 650 ft, the Kaskaskia River At Chesterville.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kaskaskia River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kaskaskia River
All 3 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kaskaskia River At Chesterville
IL
USGS 05590950
|
436 | 34.15 | -9.4 | 105% | 0 | 10,800 | 650 |
|
Kaskaskia River At Vandalia
IL
USGS 05592500
|
4,120 | 14.09 | 86.4 | 252% | 20 | 32,200 | 537 |
|
Kaskaskia River At New Athens
IL
USGS 05595000
|
4,540 | 74.44 | -7.2 | 107% | 50 | 45,700 | 403 |
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
Kaskaskia River
The Kaskaskia River flows for a length of 325 miles through central and southern Illinois before joining the Mississippi River. The river is known for its role in early French exploration and settlement in the area. It has a drainage area of 5,746 square miles and is heavily utilized for agricultural purposes. The Kaskaskia River is also home to several reservoirs and dams, including Carlyle Lake, which is the largest man-made lake in Illinois with a surface area of 26,000 acres. The lake is utilized for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and camping. The river also provides water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use. The Kaskaskia River has played a significant role in the history and development of Illinois and remains an important natural resource for the state.
Track the Kaskaskia 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 Kaskaskia River
Where does the data for the Kaskaskia 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.