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Kishwaukee River at Belvidere

Highest listed crest 16.90 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft72 crests since 1938

The Kishwaukee River at Belvidere crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 72 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2024. The highest, 16.90 ft on January 24, 1938, was major flooding, 7.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.90 ft
January 24, 1938
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
13
19th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 19, 2020
10.59 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Boone County
Near Belvidere (1.4 mi), Loves Park (8.9 mi), Rockford (10.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kishwaukee River at Belvidere
Action stage6.021Jul 15, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.011Jun 20, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.025May 19, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.013Sep 4, 2018Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

72 crests from 1938 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kishwaukee River at Belvidere, 1938 to 2024 05101520ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Jan 24, 1938: 16.90 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1940: 10.00 ft, moderate flooding; 1,330 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1941: 10.58 ft, moderate flooding; 2,240 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 1941: 10.89 ft, moderate flooding; 3,230 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1943: 13.10 ft, major flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1944: 12.56 ft, major flooding; 9,200 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1946: 12.90 ft, major flooding; 9,830 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 12.00 ft, major flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1949: 10.50 ft, moderate flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1950: 10.10 ft, moderate flooding; 5,240 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1951: 11.00 ft, moderate flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1952: 11.24 ft, moderate flooding; 6,690 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1954: 8.00 ft, action stage; 3,290 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1959: 8.30 ft, action stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 12.70 ft, major flooding; 8,230 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1965: 10.31 ft, moderate flooding; 3,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 10.50 ft, moderate flooding; 5,450 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 8.12 ft, action stage; 3,550 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1969: 8.67 ft, action stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 12.74 ft, major flooding; 8,350 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1972: 11.80 ft, moderate flooding; 6,700 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 11.07 ft, moderate flooding; 6,270 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 11.42 ft, moderate flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1975: 8.31 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 10.92 ft, moderate flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1978: 12.88 ft, major flooding; 8,340 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1979: 12.76 ft, major flooding; 9,040 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1982: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,670 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 10.92 ft, moderate flooding; 6,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 9.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1985: 8.46 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1986: 9.41 ft, minor flooding; 4,660 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1987: 9.34 ft, minor flooding; 4,590 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1988: 8.54 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1991: 8.85 ft, action stage; 4,240 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1993: 11.91 ft, moderate flooding; 7,870 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 14.19 ft, major flooding; 11,900 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1995: 6.07 ft, action stage; 2,360 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1996: 10.45 ft, moderate flooding; 5,860 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 11.74 ft, moderate flooding; 7,620 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1998: 8.04 ft, action stage; 3,570 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1999: 13.97 ft, major flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2000: 10.69 ft, moderate flooding; 5,730 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2001: 8.70 ft, action stage; 4,040 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2002: 9.77 ft, minor flooding; 5,040 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 8.59 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2005: 6.60 ft, action stage; 2,610 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2007: 11.60 ft, moderate flooding; 7,420 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 2008: 9.22 ft, minor flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2008: 9.26 ft, minor flooding; 4,510 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2010: 8.82 ft, action stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2013: 10.56 ft, moderate flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 12.31 ft, major flooding; 8,480 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2013: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,610 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2014: 5.78 ft, below flood stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2015: 6.42 ft, action stage; 2,570 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2017: 8.16 ft, action stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2017: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2017: 10.35 ft, moderate flooding; 5,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2018: 10.85 ft, moderate flooding; 6,250 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2018: 9.70 ft, minor flooding; 5,310 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 12.00 ft, major flooding; 7,780 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2018: 8.93 ft, action stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 10.37 ft, moderate flooding; 6,130 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 11.21 ft, moderate flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 10.59 ft, moderate flooding; 6,040 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2021: 5.90 ft, below flood stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2022: 8.62 ft, action stage; 3,980 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2023: 6.19 ft, action stage; 2,430 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2024: 8.43 ft, action stage; 3,860 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2024: 7.53 ft, action stage; 3,270 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.90 ft, Jan 24, 1938 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kishwaukee River at Belvidere 1930s: 1 1940s: 8 1950s: 3 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 5 2000s: 5 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 72 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kishwaukee River at Belvidere
1Jan 24, 193816.90+7.90Major—
2Feb 20, 199414.19+5.19Major11,900
3Jun 14, 199913.97+4.97Major11,400
4Mar 16, 194313.10+4.10Major10,300
5Jan 6, 194612.90+3.90Major9,830
6Jul 3, 197812.88+3.88Major8,340
7Mar 20, 197912.76+3.76Major9,040
8Feb 20, 197112.74+3.74Major8,350
9Mar 31, 196012.70+3.70Major8,230
10Mar 15, 194412.56+3.56Major9,200
11Apr 19, 201312.31+3.31Major8,480
12Mar 20, 194812.00+3.00Major8,000
13Sep 4, 201812.00+3.00Major7,780
14Jul 1, 199311.91+2.91Moderate7,870
15Sep 19, 197211.80+2.80Moderate6,700
16Feb 22, 199711.74+2.74Moderate7,620
17Aug 21, 200711.60+2.60Moderate7,420
18May 17, 197411.42+2.42Moderate6,620
19Mar 12, 195211.24+2.24Moderate6,690
20Sep 14, 201911.21+2.21Moderate7,290
21Apr 22, 197311.07+2.07Moderate6,270
22Feb 26, 195111.00+2.00Moderate6,410
23Mar 5, 197610.92+1.92Moderate6,130
24Dec 3, 198210.92+1.92Moderate6,470
25Oct 24, 194110.89+1.89Moderate3,230
26Feb 22, 201810.85+1.85Moderate6,250
27Jun 13, 200010.69+1.69Moderate5,730
28May 19, 202010.59+1.59Moderate6,040
29Mar 22, 194110.58+1.58Moderate2,240
30Mar 12, 201310.56+1.56Moderate6,000
31Feb 25, 194910.50+1.50Moderate5,750
32Feb 10, 196610.50+1.50Moderate5,450
33May 21, 199610.45+1.45Moderate5,860
34Mar 14, 201910.37+1.37Moderate6,130
35Jul 24, 201710.35+1.35Moderate5,620
36Feb 8, 196510.31+1.31Moderate3,300
37Apr 26, 195010.10+1.10Moderate5,240
38Jun 19, 194010.00+1.00Moderate1,330
39Feb 13, 19849.80+0.80Minor5,070
40Jun 5, 20029.77+0.77Minor5,040
41Jun 20, 20189.70+0.70Minor5,310
42Jun 29, 20179.56+0.56Minor4,720
43Mar 21, 19629.50+0.50Minor4,600
44Mar 14, 19829.50+0.50Minor4,670
45Mar 11, 19869.41+0.41Minor4,660
46Jun 27, 20139.36+0.36Minor4,610
47Aug 14, 19879.34+0.34Minor4,590
48Dec 29, 20089.26+0.26Minor4,510
49Mar 4, 20089.22+0.22Minor4,810
50Oct 7, 20188.93−0.07Action4,090

The worst floods along the Kishwaukee River

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

February 20, 1994: 14.19 ft here, major flooding

  • PerryvilleIL · Feb 21, 1994 · 20.71 ft · Moderate

June 14, 1999: 13.97 ft here, major flooding

  • PerryvilleIL · Jun 15, 1999 · 18.96 ft · Moderate

March 16, 1943: 13.10 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Kishwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the Kishwaukee River
MarengoIL12.013.06 ft, Sep 4, 20180
Belvidere this gaugeIL9.016.90 ft, Jan 24, 193813
PerryvilleIL12.023.54 ft, Jul 18, 19961

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BVDI2, 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.