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Kaskaskia River below Carlyle Dam Tailwater

Highest listed crest 428.20 ftFlood stage 423.5 ft42 crests since 1966

The Kaskaskia River below Carlyle Dam Tailwater crested above flood stage 40 times among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1966 to 2025. The highest, 428.20 ft on December 15, 1966, was minor flooding, 4.70 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Kaskaskia River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
428.20 ft
December 15, 1966
Flood stage
423.5 ft
Major flooding from 435.0 ft
Crests at major
0
40 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 17, 2025
426.16 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clinton County
Near Centralia (14.1 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 below Carlyle Dam Tailwater
Action stage421.51Jul 21, 2000The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)423.540Apr 17, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage431.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage435.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1966 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kaskaskia River below Carlyle Dam Tailwater, 1966 to 2025 415420425430435ft Flood stage 423.5 ftMajor 435.0 ft Dec 15, 1966: 428.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 1969: 427.70 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1970: 428.20 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1979: 427.00 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1980: 425.40 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 1993: 426.40 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1995: 425.00 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 1998: 426.31 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1999: 425.79 ft, minor flooding; 9,640 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 2000: 422.21 ft, action stage; 5,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2001: 425.77 ft, minor flooding; 9,110 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2002: 427.21 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2003: 419.60 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2004: 425.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,759 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2004: 424.15 ft, minor flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2005: 426.26 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2006: 423.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,700 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2007: 424.02 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 2008: 424.81 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2008: 424.69 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2008: 424.38 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 2008: 426.06 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 2009: 424.06 ft, minor flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2009: 424.26 ft, minor flooding; 6,275 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2009: 425.57 ft, minor flooding; 8,125 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2010: 426.29 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2011: 426.16 ft, minor floodingFeb 8, 2012: 425.07 ft, minor flooding; 7,402 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2013: 426.12 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 2013: 426.11 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 2014: 423.70 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2014: 424.89 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 2015: 424.45 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2016: 426.01 ft, minor flooding; 10,145 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2017: 426.03 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 2018: 426.04 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 2019: 426.27 ft, minor floodingJan 18, 2020: 426.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 2020: 425.96 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2020: 424.02 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 2021: 425.99 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 2025: 426.16 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 428.20 ft, Dec 15, 1966 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kaskaskia River below Carlyle Dam Tailwater 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 4 2000s: 14 14 2010s: 12 2020s: 5 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Kaskaskia River below Carlyle Dam Tailwater
1Dec 15, 1966428.20+4.70Minor—
2May 10, 1970428.20+4.70Minor—
3Feb 20, 1969427.70+4.20Minor—
4Jun 7, 2002427.21+3.71Minor12,000
5Apr 15, 1979427.00+3.50Minor—
6Jan 28, 1993426.40+2.90Minor—
7Apr 10, 1998426.31+2.81Minor12,200
8Jan 4, 2010426.29+2.79Minor—
9Feb 7, 2019426.27+2.77Minor—
10Jan 18, 2005426.26+2.76Minor10,700
11Jan 18, 2020426.17+2.67Minor—
12Mar 14, 2011426.16+2.66Minor—
13Apr 17, 2025426.16+2.66Minor10,300
14Apr 27, 2013426.12+2.62Minor—
15May 4, 2013426.11+2.61Minor—
16Apr 18, 2008426.06+2.56Minor—
17Apr 14, 2018426.04+2.54Minor—
18May 10, 2017426.03+2.53Minor—
19Jan 7, 2016426.01+2.51Minor10,145
20Mar 26, 2021425.99+2.49Minor—
21Feb 17, 2020425.96+2.46Minor—
22Feb 3, 1999425.79+2.29Minor9,640
23Feb 16, 2001425.77+2.27Minor9,110
24Apr 11, 2009425.57+2.07Minor8,125
25Jan 8, 2004425.50+2.00Minor7,759
26Apr 4, 1980425.40+1.90Minor—
27Feb 8, 2012425.07+1.57Minor7,402
28May 27, 1995425.00+1.50Minor—
29Apr 7, 2014424.89+1.39Minor—
30Feb 14, 2008424.81+1.31Minor—
31Mar 7, 2008424.69+1.19Minor—
32Mar 28, 2015424.45+0.95Minor—
33Mar 18, 2008424.38+0.88Minor—
34Mar 1, 2009424.26+0.76Minor6,275
35Dec 25, 2004424.15+0.65Minor6,500
36Jan 6, 2009424.06+0.56Minor6,070
37Mar 1, 2007424.02+0.52Minor—
38Apr 6, 2020424.02+0.52Minor—
39Mar 3, 2014423.70+0.20Minor—
40Mar 21, 2006423.57+0.07Minor6,700
41Jul 21, 2000422.21−1.29Action5,180
42May 22, 2003419.60−3.90Below flood stage3,760

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.

December 15, 1966: 428.20 ft here, minor flooding

  • VandaliaIL · Dec 10, 1966 · 25.50 ft · Moderate
  • CarlyleIL · Dec 14, 1966 · 25.30 ft · Moderate
  • ShelbyvilleIL · Dec 10, 1966 · 553.00 ft · Minor

May 10, 1970: 428.20 ft here, minor flooding

  • CarlyleIL · May 8, 1970 · 25.04 ft · Moderate

April 15, 1979: 427.00 ft here, minor flooding

  • CarlyleIL · Apr 15, 1979 · 23.96 ft · Moderate
  • CowdenIL · Apr 12, 1979 · 18.97 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 Tailwater this gaugeIL423.5428.20 ft, Dec 15, 19660
New AthensIL79.095.63 ft, Jan 2, 201610

Other gauges in Clinton County

Flood gauges in Clinton County
Carlyle16.533.69 ft, May 21, 19439

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRLI2, 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.