Rivers in Illinois
Pecatonica River near Shirland
Below flood stage
8.70ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 12:00 AM CDT
- Flood stage
- 12.00 ft
- Record crest
- 18.08 ft1975
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 15.50 ft |
| Moderate flood | 14.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 12.00 ft |
| Action | 11.00 ft |
- 19.50 ftShirland Community School and other municipal buildings are threatened in Shirland.
- 19.00 ftIL-70 (Trask Bridge Road) is threatened east of the river between Pecatonica and Harrison.
- 18.50 ftStructures threatened near the river in Pecatonica.
- 17.50 ftResidences are threatened along Harrison Road in Harrison. Meridian Road is threatened south of the river east of Shirland.
- 17.00 ftTelegraph Road is threatened east of Pecatonica. IL-75 is threatened west of Harrison. Harrison Road is threatened in Harrison.
- 16.50 ftResidences are threatened along Hartlien Road in Shirland.
- 16.00 ftWater treatment plant property in Pecatonica is threatened.
- 15.00 ftHarrison Road (Mitchell Street) threatened between Shirland and Harrison. Widespread inundation of the floodplain reaches up to half mile from the river near Shirland.
- 14.50 ftPecatonica Road and Blair Road are threatened north of Pecatonica.
- 14.00 ftStructures threatened at Rivers Edge Campground east of Shirland.
- 12.00 ftLow-lying sections of the Winnebago County Fairgrounds are inundated. Low-lying sections of Rivers Edge Campground are inundated east of Shirland.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 10% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
68 crests on NOAA’s list since 1940.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 25, 1975 | 18.08 ft |
| 2 | April 4, 1959 | 17.45 ft |
| 3 | April 3, 1960 | 17.08 ft |
| 4 | March 21, 1948 | 16.73 ft |
| 5 | February 19, 1971 | 16.50 ft |
| 6 | March 17, 2019 | 16.46 ft |
| 7 | July 6, 1969 | 15.93 ft |
| 8 | July 28, 2010 | 15.89 ft |
| 9 | May 11, 1973 | 15.70 ft |
| 10 | February 24, 2018 | 15.58 ft |
| 11 | October 7, 2019 | 15.52 ft |
| 12 | July 8, 1969 | 15.40 ft |
| 13 | March 18, 1943 | 15.38 ft |
| 14 | October 11, 2018 | 15.27 ft |
| 15 | June 17, 2008 | 15.09 ft |
| 16 | March 30, 1962 | 15.09 ft |
| 17 | March 8, 1949 | 15.04 ft |
| 18 | March 21, 1952 | 14.91 ft |
| 19 | February 28, 1985 | 14.90 ft |
| 20 | March 17, 1944 | 14.88 ft |
| 21 | March 6, 1974 | 14.65 ft |
| 22 | February 24, 1994 | 14.64 ft |
| 23 | April 21, 2013 | 14.52 ft |
| 24 | June 16, 2000 | 14.41 ft |
| 25 | February 23, 1953 | 14.18 ft |
Most recent crests
- July 19, 2024: 12.82 ft
- June 26, 2024: 11.20 ft
- April 8, 2024: 13.05 ft
- March 5, 2023: 11.81 ft
- August 14, 2022: 13.68 ft
- March 15, 2021: 11.70 ft
- March 24, 2020: 11.49 ft
- October 7, 2019: 15.52 ft
- September 19, 2019: 13.51 ft
- June 2, 2019: 12.85 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 and future precipitation. The stages/flows that will occur may be different if future rainfall is different than forecast.
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.