River Report

Little Wabash River river

3 streamgauges 192% of normal Last updated 2026-05-30
Aggregate flow
8,399cfs
% of normal
192%
Daily volume
16,659AF
Seasonal avg
4,375cfs

Total streamflow across the Little Wabash River was last observed at 8,399 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 16,659 acre-ft of water today; about 192% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 4,375 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2011-05-03 when daily discharge volume was observed at 68,271 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Little Wabash River At Carmi reporting a streamflow rate of 7,650 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Little Wabash River, with a gauge stage of 20.66 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Little Wabash River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 542 ft, the Little Wabash River Near Effingham.

Max discharge

Little Wabash River At Carmi

7,650cfs
Highest stage

Little Wabash River At Carmi

20.66ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Little Wabash River Near Effingham

542ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Little Wabash River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Little Wabash 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)
Little Wabash River Near Effingham IL
USGS 03378635
127 10.97 -7.8 192% 0 15,600 542
Little Wabash River Below Clay City IL
USGS 03379500
622 9.20 46.4 184% 4 41,200 477
Little Wabash River At Carmi IL
USGS 03381500
7,650 20.66 0.1 456% 16 54,800 419
Annual peaks

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

Profile

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

About this river

Little Wabash River

The Little Wabash River is a tributary of the Wabash River in southern Illinois, stretching 240 miles from its source to its confluence with the Wabash River. The river has a rich history, as it was used for transportation and trade by Native Americans and European settlers in the 1800s. It is also a vital source of water for agriculture in the region, with many farmers relying on it for irrigation. The river has several reservoirs and dams, including the Lake Sara Dam, which is used for flood control and recreation. The river's hydrology has been impacted by human activities, including agriculture and urbanization, leading to issues with water quality and sedimentation. Despite this, the Little Wabash River remains a popular destination for fishing, boating, and other recreational activities.

Track the Little Wabash 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.

FAQ

About the Little Wabash River

Where does the data for the Little Wabash 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.