Des Plaines River at Joliet, IL
River level and flood forecast · Will County
Normal539.3 ftas of Mon 3:15 PM
The river is 1.7 ft below flood stage (541 ft).
Flow: 3,070 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 | 544 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 543 ft |
| Flood stage | 541 ft |
| Action stage | 540.5 ft |
| Record crest (July 1, 1957) | 542 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 545.5 ftWater reaches the top of the flood wall in downtown Joliet.
- 545 ftWithout flood protection, widespread inundation of structures and roadways in the floodplain reaches up to half mile from the river near downtown Joliet.
- 544 ftWithout flood protection, water begins to overtop the embankment upstream of Ruby Street along east bank of the river.
- 543.5 ftA few structures near the river upstream of Ruby Street are threatened.
- 542 ftNorth Bluff Street in threatened. Low-lying property near Ruby Street inundated.
Highest crests on record
- 542 ft — July 1, 1957
- 541.22 ft — September 14, 2008
- 541 ft — March 5, 1985
- 540.97 ft — May 1, 2019
- 540.92 ft — April 18, 2013
Recent crests: 540.97 ft (May 1, 2019) · 540.06 ft (May 12, 2016) · 540.37 ft (June 16, 2015) · 540.92 ft (April 18, 2013) · 540.42 ft (June 9, 2011)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamDes Plaines River near Lemont, IL
- DownstreamDes Plaines River at Brandon Road Lock (tailwater), IL
- Hickory Creek at Joliet, IL
- Du Page River at Shorewood, IL
- Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Romeoville, IL
- Long Run near Lemont, IL
- Du Page River near Plainfield, IL
- Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Lemont, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (JRSI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.