Rivers in Illinois

Kishwaukee River at Belvidere

Boone County, IllinoisNWS BVDI2USGS 05438500Romeoville office

Below flood stage
4.49ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 22, 3:30 AM CDT

Flood stage
9.00 ft
Record crest
16.90 ft1938

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood12.00 ft
Moderate flood10.00 ft
Minor flood9.00 ft
Action6.00 ft
  1. 21.00 ftI-90 may be threatened west of Belvidere.
  2. 19.00 ftUnion Pacific Railroad tracks threatened in Cherry Valley.
  3. 16.50 ftNewburg Road threatened west of Belvidere.
  4. 16.00 ftInundation of structures and roadways reaches 1-2 blocks from the river in downtown Belvidere. Roadways and structures threatened at Bel Mo Mobile Home Park in Belvidere. US-20 Business and Appleton Road threatened in Belvidere. Residences threatened along East Street and Van Buren Street in Cherry Valley.
  5. 15.50 ftBelvidere Sewage Treatment Plant threatened. US-20 and Union Pacific Railroad tracks threatened east of Belvidere. Main Street threatened in Belvidere.
  6. 15.00 ftCommercial structures threatened in downtown Belvidere. Widespread inundation of agricultural land and woodland near Belvidere. Water reaches the top of the levee along River Drive in Belvidere. Residential structures threatened along Grove Street and Cherry Street in Cherry Valley. Athletic fields threatened and overflow begins into lake at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
  7. 14.00 ftParking lots threatened in downtown Belvidere.
  8. 12.00 ftParking lots threatened at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
  9. 11.50 ftLawrenceville Road threatened east of Belvidere. Structures in Belvidere Park are threatened. Without flood protection, multiple residential structures threatened along Gaynor Street, Gladys Court, Burgess Road, and River Drive.
  10. 11.00 ftIndustrial structures threatened along Pleasant Street and Meadow Street in Belvidere. Epworth Road threatened east of Belvidere. Widespread inundation in Belvidere Park.
  11. 10.50 ftWater begins to bypass the main channel east of Belvidere toward Coon Creek and Belmar Golf Club. Without flood protection, Gaynor Street threatened in Belvidere. Trails threatened at Baumann Park in Cherry Valley.
  12. 10.00 ftTrails in Spencer Park threatened. Parking lots threatened in Belvidere Park.
  13. 9.50 ftHoliday Acres Campground threatened east of Belvidere. Northwoods RV Resort is threatened in Garden Prairie.
  14. 9.00 ftBoone-McHenry County Line Road threatened. Low-lying areas are threatened in Belvidere Park.
  15. 8.00 ftTrails in Belvidere Park threatened.
  16. 6.00 ftWater overtops low-lying banks along the river in and near Belvidere.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.

Crest history

72 crests on NOAA’s list since 1938.

#DateStage
1January 24, 193816.90 ft
2February 20, 199414.19 ft
3June 14, 199913.97 ft
4March 16, 194313.10 ft
5January 6, 194612.90 ft
6July 3, 197812.88 ft
7March 20, 197912.76 ft
8February 20, 197112.74 ft
9March 31, 196012.70 ft
10March 15, 194412.56 ft
11April 19, 201312.31 ft
12March 20, 194812.00 ft
13September 4, 201812.00 ft
14July 1, 199311.91 ft
15September 19, 197211.80 ft
16February 22, 199711.74 ft
17August 21, 200711.60 ft
18May 17, 197411.42 ft
19March 12, 195211.24 ft
20September 14, 201911.21 ft
21April 22, 197311.07 ft
22February 26, 195111.00 ft
23March 5, 197610.92 ft
24December 3, 198210.92 ft
25October 24, 194110.89 ft

Most recent crests

  • July 15, 2024: 7.53 ft
  • April 4, 2024: 8.43 ft
  • March 1, 2023: 6.19 ft
  • July 8, 2022: 8.62 ft
  • March 11, 2021: 5.90 ft
  • May 19, 2020: 10.59 ft
  • September 14, 2019: 11.21 ft
  • March 14, 2019: 10.37 ft
  • October 7, 2018: 8.93 ft
  • September 4, 2018: 12.00 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the North Central River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.