Sangamon River river
Total streamflow across the Sangamon River was last observed at 4,779 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 9,479 acre-ft of water today; about 30% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 16,187 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2016-01-01 when daily discharge volume was observed at 192,837 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sangamon River Near Oakford reporting a streamflow rate of 2,190 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sangamon River At Petersburg with a gauge stage of 6.22 ft. This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Sangamon River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 693 ft, the Sangamon River At Fisher.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Sangamon River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Sangamon 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sangamon River At Fisher
IL
USGS 05570910
|
63 | 5.48 | -18.1 | 43% | 0 | 7,400 | 693 |
|
Sangamon River At Monticello
IL
USGS 05572000
|
129 | 5.74 | -20.5 | 43% | 0 | 11,100 | 646 |
|
Sangamon River At Rt 48 At Decatur
IL
USGS 05573540
|
171 | 3.23 | 2.4 | 28% | 0 | 17,700 | 618 |
|
Sangamon River At Riverton
IL
USGS 05576500
|
956 | 5.37 | -15.8 | 51% | 40 | 57,100 | 519 |
|
Sangamon River At Petersburg
IL
USGS 05578000
|
1,270 | 6.22 | -12.8 | 63% | 44 | 37,900 | 489 |
|
Sangamon River Near Oakford
IL
USGS 05583000
|
2,190 | 5.40 | -9.3 | 60% | 197 | 90,500 | 457 |
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
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a 246-mile-long tributary of the Illinois River. The river has a rich history, having been used by Native Americans for hunting and fishing. The river was also an important transportation route in the 19th century, with steamboats and barges carrying goods up and down the river.
The river's hydrology is influenced by several reservoirs and dams, including the Sangchris Lake Dam and the Lake Decatur Dam. These structures help regulate the river's flow and provide water for municipal and agricultural use.
Recreational activities on the Sangamon River include fishing, boating, and swimming. The river is also popular for hiking and camping, with several state parks located along its banks.
Agricultural use of the Sangamon River is significant, with farmers using the river's water for irrigation and livestock watering. However, agricultural runoff can also pose a threat to the river's water quality, leading to issues such as nutrient pollution and algal blooms.
Track the Sangamon 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 Sangamon River
Where does the data for the Sangamon 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.