Big Muddy River at Plumfield, IL
River level and flood forecast · Franklin County
Normal2.5 ftas of Mon 2:30 PM
The river is 17.5 ft below flood stage (20 ft).
Flow: 45 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 34 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 27 ft |
| Flood stage | 20 ft |
| Action stage | 18 ft |
| Record crest (May 4, 2011) | 34.68 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 34 ftMany surrounding homes begin to flood.
- 20 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
- 16 ftBankfull stage is reached.
Highest crests on record
- 34.68 ft — May 4, 2011
- 34.67 ft — May 10, 1961
- 33.5 ft — April 30, 2011
- 32.86 ft — August 19, 1946
- 31.84 ft — May 4, 1983
Recent crests: 28.21 ft (April 9, 2025) · 20.25 ft (February 18, 2025) · 22.7 ft (March 27, 2023) · 20.12 ft (February 20, 2022) · 22.58 ft (March 21, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- DownstreamBig Muddy River at Murphysboro, IL
- Crab Orchard Creek above Marion, IL
- Rayse Creek above Waltonville, IL
- South Fork Saline River above Carrier Mills, IL
- Casey Fork above Mount Vernon, IL
- Middle Fork Saline River above Harrisburg, IL
- Cache River (IL) above Forman, IL
- Lusk Creek above Eddyville, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PLMI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.