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Big Muddy River at Plumfield

Highest listed crest 34.68 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft76 crests since 1916

The Big Muddy River at Plumfield crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2025. The highest, 34.68 ft on May 4, 2011, was major flooding, 14.68 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Big Muddy River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.68 ft
May 4, 2011; 12,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 34.0 ft
Crests at major
2
82nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 9, 2025
28.21 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Franklin County
Near Herrin (6.5 mi), Marion (11.7 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Big Muddy River at Plumfield
Action stage18.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.052Feb 18, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.022Apr 9, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage34.02May 4, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1916 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Muddy River at Plumfield, 1916 to 2025 20253035ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 34.0 ft Feb 1, 1916: 30.20 ft, moderate flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1933: 28.77 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1935: 28.99 ft, moderate floodingJan 17, 1937: 29.16 ft, moderate flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1938: 22.55 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1939: 26.56 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 1940: 21.96 ft, minor floodingFeb 9, 1942: 21.20 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 1943: 25.31 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1944: 22.75 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1945: 26.36 ft, minor floodingAug 19, 1946: 32.86 ft, moderate flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1947: 23.77 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1948: 24.56 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1949: 30.70 ft, moderate flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1950: 29.37 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1951: 25.36 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1952: 23.80 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1953: 20.30 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1955: 21.76 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1957: 29.50 ft, moderate flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1959: 20.26 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1961: 34.67 ft, major flooding; 42,900 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1963: 22.67 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1964: 28.95 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1965: 21.43 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1966: 22.45 ft, minor floodingDec 25, 1967: 25.82 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1969: 28.32 ft, moderate flooding; 9,910 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1970: 23.42 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1971: 22.10 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1973: 24.08 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1975: 24.41 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1977: 25.19 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1978: 25.27 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1979: 28.32 ft, moderate flooding; 8,790 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1981: 21.26 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 1982: 25.77 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1983: 31.84 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1984: 23.58 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1985: 28.03 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 1987: 21.87 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1989: 27.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 1990: 24.93 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 1993: 21.51 ft, minor flooding; 3,450 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1993: 29.66 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 1996: 31.83 ft, moderate flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 20.99 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1998: 25.50 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1999: 25.25 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2000: 24.09 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 2001: 25.45 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 2002: 27.21 ft, moderate floodingJun 14, 2003: 22.97 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2004: 21.27 ft, minor flooding; 3,337 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2005: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 4,391 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2006: 27.90 ft, moderate floodingJan 18, 2007: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2008: 29.86 ft, moderate flooding; 9,613 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2009: 23.30 ft, minor flooding; 4,386 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2010: 23.34 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 2011: 33.50 ft, moderate flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2011: 34.68 ft, major flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2013: 23.27 ft, minor flooding; 5,994 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2014: 22.96 ft, minor flooding; 7,458 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2015: 23.39 ft, minor flooding; 5,882 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2016: 24.63 ft, minor flooding; 9,066 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2017: 28.62 ft, moderate flooding; 9,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2018: 23.39 ft, minor flooding; 8,033 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 23.66 ft, minor flooding; 6,554 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2020: 22.01 ft, minor flooding; 4,799 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2021: 22.58 ft, minor flooding; 5,297 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2022: 20.12 ft, minor flooding; 3,550 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 2023: 22.70 ft, minor flooding; 5,406 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2025: 20.25 ft, minor flooding; 3,615 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2025: 28.21 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.68 ft, May 4, 2011 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Muddy River at Plumfield 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 5 1940s: 9 1950s: 7 1960s: 7 1970s: 7 1980s: 7 1990s: 7 2000s: 10 10 2010s: 10 2020s: 6 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Muddy River at Plumfield
1May 4, 201134.68+14.68Major12,400
2May 10, 196134.67+14.67Major42,900
3Apr 30, 201133.50+13.50Moderate14,100
4Aug 19, 194632.86+12.86Moderate26,100
5May 4, 198331.84+11.84Moderate11,800
6May 1, 199631.83+11.83Moderate14,200
7Jan 26, 194930.70+10.70Moderate17,600
8Feb 1, 191630.20+10.20Moderate16,300
9Mar 21, 200829.86+9.86Moderate9,613
10Nov 19, 199329.66+9.66Moderate—
11Apr 6, 195729.50+9.50Moderate13,700
12Jan 6, 195029.37+9.37Moderate14,800
13Jan 17, 193729.16+9.16Moderate12,300
14Mar 14, 193528.99+8.99Moderate—
15Mar 12, 196428.95+8.95Moderate14,300
16May 17, 193328.77+8.77Moderate12,700
17May 2, 201728.62+8.62Moderate9,610
18Feb 2, 196928.32+8.32Moderate9,910
19Mar 6, 197928.32+8.32Moderate8,790
20Apr 9, 202528.21+8.21Moderate10,600
21Apr 3, 198528.03+8.03Moderate—
22Mar 15, 200627.90+7.90Moderate—
23Apr 6, 198927.70+7.70Moderate—
24May 17, 200227.21+7.21Moderate—
25Apr 20, 193926.56+6.56Minor—
26Mar 6, 194526.36+6.36Minor—
27Dec 25, 196725.82+5.82Minor—
28May 2, 198225.77+5.77Minor—
29Apr 18, 199825.50+5.50Minor—
30Dec 19, 200125.45+5.45Minor—
31Feb 23, 195125.36+5.36Minor—
32May 13, 194325.31+5.31Minor—
33Mar 16, 197825.27+5.27Minor—
34Jan 24, 199925.25+5.25Minor—
35Mar 30, 197725.19+5.19Minor—
36May 20, 199024.93+4.93Minor—
37Jan 1, 201624.63+4.63Minor9,066
38Jan 5, 194824.56+4.56Minor—
39Apr 27, 197524.41+4.41Minor—
40Jun 20, 200024.09+4.09Minor—
41Apr 25, 197324.08+4.08Minor—
42Mar 14, 195223.80+3.80Minor—
43Apr 28, 194723.77+3.77Minor—
44Feb 14, 201923.66+3.66Minor6,554
45Mar 31, 198423.58+3.58Minor—
46Jun 18, 197023.42+3.42Minor—
47Jun 24, 201523.39+3.39Minor5,882
48Feb 27, 201823.39+3.39Minor8,033
49Dec 27, 201023.34+3.34Minor—
50Jan 17, 200523.30+3.30Minor4,391

The worst floods along the Big Muddy River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Big Muddy River that crested above flood stage within a week.

May 4, 2011: 34.68 ft here, major flooding

  • MurphysboroIL · May 3, 2011 · 40.47 ft · Major · its highest

May 10, 1961: 34.67 ft here, major flooding

April 30, 2011: 33.50 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MurphysboroIL · May 3, 2011 · 40.47 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Big Muddy River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Big Muddy River
Plumfield this gaugeIL20.034.68 ft, May 4, 20112
MurphysboroIL22.040.47 ft, May 3, 20118

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PLMI2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.