Des Plaines River at Riverside, IL

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Sun, Sep 20, 9:48 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 13.5 ftWater reaches the top of the west bank levees in Lyons and McCook.
• 12 ftWater reaches the top of the levees in Lyons and McCook.
• 11.5 ftWidespread inundation of industrial property and structures north of the river in McCook. Numerous residences threatened near the river in Lyons.
• 11 ftStructures threatened at Brookfield Zoo.
• 10.5 ftResidences threatened between river and 39th Street in Riverside. Without flood protection from levees, widespread inundation of industrial property and structures would occur north of the river in McCook.
• 10 ftUS-34 (Ogden Avenue) threatened along the River in Lyons.
• 9.5 ftParking areas at Brookfield Zoo threatened. Industrial parking area near the river and I-55 is threatened.
• 9 ftResidences threatened near the confluence of Des Plaines River and Salt Creek.
• 8.5 ftIL-171 (1st Avenue) threatened near Brookfield Zoo. Water may begin to overflow into the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal near Willow Springs.
• 8 ftPark areas are inundated near the confluence of Des Plaines River and Salt Creek.
• 7.5 ftLow-lying sections of Miller Meadow, Indian Gardens, Cermak Woods, Ottawa Trail Woods, and other forest land along the river are inundated.
• 7 ftWater begins to overflow banks in adjacent forest preserve areas.
• 4 ftWithout flood protection from levees, water would begin to bypass the main river channel through Chicago Portage toward the Chicago River Basin and areas once covered by Mud Lake.

Highest crests on record

1. 11.28 ft — April 18, 2013
2. 10 ft — May 18, 2020
3. 9.9 ft — August 15, 1987
4. 9.87 ft — September 14, 2008
5. 9.82 ft — January 26, 1969

Recent crests: 10 ft (May 18, 2020) · 7.33 ft (April 30, 2020) · 8.37 ft (May 1, 2019) · 7.03 ft (February 4, 2019) · 7.73 ft (June 23, 2018)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• UpstreamDes Plaines River at River Forest, IL
• DownstreamDes Plaines River at Lyons, IL
• Summit Conduit at Summit, IL
• Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal at Stickney, IL
• Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs, IL
• Addison Creek at Bellwood, IL
• Salt Creek (IL) at Oak Brook, IL
• Flag Creek near Willow Springs, IL