North Branch Chicago River at Niles, IL
River level and flood forecast · Cook County
Normal0.9 ftas of Mon 3:30 PM
The river is 9.1 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Flow: 37 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 | 12 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 11 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 7 ft |
| Record crest (September 14, 2008) | 12.13 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 13.5 ftHoward Avenue is threatened in Niles.
- 12 ftWidespread flooding of wooded areas along the river including numerous trails and recreation areas.
- 11 ftStructures are threatened near the river in Niles.
- 10 ftRiverside Drive, Harts Road, and Jarvis Avenue are threatened near the river in Niles.
- 8 ftLow-lying areas in Bunker Hill Woods, Caldwell Woods, and multiple golf courses are inundated.
- 7 ftSections of the North Branch Trail are inundated near Cicero Avenue in Chicago. Trails are threatened at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course in Niles.
- 6.5 ftWater overtops low-lying banks in Niles.
- 6 ftWater overtops low-lying banks near the gauge.
Highest crests on record
- 12.13 ft — September 14, 2008
- 12.12 ft — April 18, 2013
- 11.35 ft — August 14, 1987
- 10.63 ft — February 21, 1997
- 10.5 ft — June 7, 1938
Recent crests: 10.26 ft (May 18, 2020) · 8.89 ft (April 30, 2020) · 8.14 ft (March 28, 2020) · 9.28 ft (May 1, 2019) · 8.11 ft (June 22, 2018)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamNorth Branch Chicago River at Deerfield, IL
- DownstreamNorth Branch Chicago River at Chicago (Pulaski Rd), IL
- Des Plaines River at Des Plaines (Algonquin Road), IL
- Weller Creek at Des Plaines, IL
- Des Plaines River near Des Plaines, IL
- McDonald Creek near Mount Prospect, IL
- Des Plaines River at River Forest, IL
- West Fork North Branch Chicago River at Northbrook, IL
- Addison Creek at Bellwood, IL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NILI2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.