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Kaskaskia River at New Athens

Highest listed crest 95.63 ftFlood stage 79.0 ft25 crests since 2009

The Kaskaskia River at New Athens crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 25 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2009 to 2025. The highest, 95.63 ft on January 2, 2016, was major flooding, 16.63 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Kaskaskia River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
95.63 ft
January 2, 2016
Flood stage
79.0 ft
Major flooding from 85.0 ft
Crests at major
10
28th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 9, 2025
85.77 ft, major flooding
Location
St. Clair County
Near Waterloo (14.4 mi), Belleville (14.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kaskaskia River at New Athens
Action stage77.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)79.010Jul 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage82.05Jul 18, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage85.010Apr 9, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

25 crests from 2009 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kaskaskia River at New Athens, 2009 to 2025 7580859095100ft Flood stage 79.0 ftMajor 85.0 ft Nov 3, 2009: 80.54 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 2009: 80.57 ft, minor flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 80.38 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 2010: 82.23 ft, moderate floodingJul 1, 2010: 82.02 ft, moderate floodingApr 29, 2011: 90.33 ft, major flooding; 43,200 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2011: 81.62 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 2011: 83.22 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 2013: 86.95 ft, major floodingJun 6, 2013: 89.61 ft, major floodingJun 23, 2015: 87.16 ft, major floodingJan 2, 2016: 95.63 ft, major floodingMay 6, 2017: 93.21 ft, major floodingMay 26, 2017: 79.53 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2018: 80.87 ft, minor flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2018: 79.31 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2019: 86.17 ft, major floodingJun 10, 2019: 92.27 ft, major floodingJan 15, 2020: 85.50 ft, major floodingMar 22, 2021: 82.36 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 2022: 79.00 ft, minor flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2024: 79.22 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 2024: 80.96 ft, minor floodingJul 18, 2024: 82.71 ft, moderate flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2025: 85.77 ft, major flooding Highest, 95.63 ft, Jan 2, 2016 2010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kaskaskia River at New Athens 2000s: 2 2010s: 16 16 2020s: 7 2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 49 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 34.30 ft on May 11, 1908; 26.80 ft on Apr 20, 1909; 25.30 ft on Mar 6, 1910; 25.00 ft on May 2, 1911; 28.20 ft on Apr 3, 1912; 32.90 ft on Mar 30, 1913; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Kaskaskia River at New Athens
1Jan 2, 201695.63+16.63Major—
2May 6, 201793.21+14.21Major—
3Jun 10, 201992.27+13.27Major—
4Apr 29, 201190.33+11.33Major43,200
5Jun 6, 201389.61+10.61Major—
6Jun 23, 201587.16+8.16Major—
7Apr 25, 201386.95+7.95Major—
8Apr 5, 201986.17+7.17Major—
9Apr 9, 202585.77+6.77Major—
10Jan 15, 202085.50+6.50Major—
11Jul 4, 201183.22+4.22Moderate—
12Jul 18, 202482.71+3.71Moderate25,700
13Mar 22, 202182.36+3.36Moderate—
14May 21, 201082.23+3.23Moderate—
15Jul 1, 201082.02+3.02Moderate—
16May 31, 201181.62+2.62Minor—
17Jul 11, 202480.96+1.96Minor—
18Mar 31, 201880.87+1.87Minor30,400
19Dec 28, 200980.57+1.57Minor27,400
20Nov 3, 200980.54+1.54Minor—
21Mar 31, 201080.38+1.38Minor—
22May 26, 201779.53+0.53Minor—
23Oct 17, 201879.31+0.31Minor—
24Jul 7, 202479.22+0.22Minor—
25Apr 4, 202279.000.00Minor24,600

The worst floods along the Kaskaskia River

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

January 2, 2016: 95.63 ft here, major flooding

May 6, 2017: 93.21 ft here, major flooding

June 10, 2019: 92.27 ft here, major flooding

  • CowdenIL · Jun 16, 2019 · 15.14 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Kaskaskia River

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

Flood gauges on the Kaskaskia River
ShelbyvilleIL549.0558.15 ft, Jun 29, 19571
CowdenIL15.020.36 ft, May 12, 20020
VandaliaIL18.028.27 ft, May 8, 200221
CarlyleIL16.533.69 ft, May 21, 19439
Carlyle Dam TailwaterIL423.5428.20 ft, Dec 15, 19660
New Athens this gaugeIL79.095.63 ft, Jan 2, 201610

St. Clair County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NASI2, 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.