TornadoLiveMap

Illinois River at Ottawa — water level right now

La Salle County, Illinois · NWS gauge OTWI2
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
463
minor flood stage
 
473.72
record crest
set 2013-04-19
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 461
minor · 463
moderate · 467
major · 471
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage471extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage467some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage463low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage461water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1473.722013-04-19+10.72 above
2472.592020-05-19+9.59 above
3472.212008-09-16+9.21 above
4471.492018-02-22+8.49 above
5470.832019-05-02+7.83 above
6470.232009-03-11+7.23 above
7468.872008-12-29+5.87 above
8468.062015-12-30+5.06 above
94682002-05-13+5 above
10467.862015-06-17+4.86 above
11467.82005-12-12+4.8 above
12467.62008-01-09+4.6 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Fox River at Dayton 4 mi away · loading… Illinois River at Marseilles Lock (tailwater) 4 mi away · loading… Illinois River at Marseilles 6 mi away · loading… Illinois River at Starved Rock Lock (tailwater) 8 mi away · loading… Vermilion River (N-IL) near Leonore 11 mi away · loading… Illinois River at Seneca 12 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDOTWI2
CountyLa Salle
StateIllinois
NWS forecast officeRomeoville
River forecast centerNorth Central River Forecast Center
Coordinates41.344, -88.839
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Illinois River at Ottawa

Is Illinois River at Ottawa flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 463 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Illinois River at Ottawa?

major flood stage 471 ft, moderate flood stage 467 ft, minor flood stage 463 ft, action stage 461 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Illinois River at Ottawa?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 473.72 ft, reached on 2013-04-19 — that is 10.72 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Romeoville and local emergency management.