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Kishwaukee River at Marengo

Highest listed crest 13.06 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft15 crests since 2013

The Kishwaukee River at Marengo crested above flood stage 6 times among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2013 to 2024. The highest, 13.06 ft on September 4, 2018, was minor flooding, 1.06 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Kishwaukee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
13.06 ft
September 4, 2018; 3,330 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 6, 2022
12.19 ft, minor flooding
Location
McHenry County
Near Woodstock (9.4 mi), Huntley (11.4 mi), Crystal Lake (14.2 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 Marengo
Action stage11.55Apr 3, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.06Jul 6, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

15 crests from 2013 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kishwaukee River at Marengo, 2013 to 2024 1011121314ft Flood stage 12.0 ft Apr 11, 2013: 12.67 ft, minor flooding; 2,720 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2014: 10.64 ft, below flood stage; 748 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2015: 11.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 2015: 11.01 ft, below flood stage; 988 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2017: 12.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 12.12 ft, minor flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2018: 11.86 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 3,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 11.30 ft, below flood stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 11.52 ft, action stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2019: 11.77 ft, action stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2020: 11.51 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 12.52 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2022: 12.19 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 11.50 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.06 ft, Sep 4, 2018 201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kishwaukee River at Marengo 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 2 2010s2020s
  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. 9 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 11.26 ft on Jun 3, 1970; 12.26 ft on Feb 19, 1971; 13.31 ft on Sep 18, 1972; 11.89 ft on Apr 22, 1973; 12.19 ft on May 17, 1974; 11.13 ft on Mar 18, 1975; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Kishwaukee River at Marengo
1Sep 4, 201813.06+1.06Minor3,330
2Apr 11, 201312.67+0.67Minor2,720
3May 18, 202012.52+0.52Minor2,790
4Jul 24, 201712.34+0.34Minor2,250
5Jul 6, 202212.19+0.19Minor2,090
6Feb 21, 201812.12+0.12Minor2,000
7Jun 27, 201811.86−0.14Action1,720
8Sep 14, 201911.77−0.23Action1,620
9Mar 13, 201911.52−0.48Action1,390
10Apr 30, 202011.51−0.49Action1,370
11Apr 3, 202411.50−0.50Action1,370
12Jul 18, 201511.36−0.64Below flood stage1,250
13Feb 24, 201911.30−0.70Below flood stage1,210
14Nov 28, 201511.01−0.99Below flood stage988
15Mar 16, 201410.64−1.36Below flood stage748

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.

September 4, 2018: 13.06 ft here, minor flooding

  • BelvidereIL · Sep 4, 2018 · 12.00 ft · Major
  • PerryvilleIL · Sep 5, 2018 · 14.46 ft · Minor

May 18, 2020: 12.52 ft here, minor flooding

  • BelvidereIL · May 19, 2020 · 10.59 ft · Moderate
  • PerryvilleIL · May 18, 2020 · 15.99 ft · Minor

July 24, 2017: 12.34 ft here, minor flooding

  • BelvidereIL · Jul 24, 2017 · 10.35 ft · Moderate
  • PerryvilleIL · Jul 23, 2017 · 15.37 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Kishwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the Kishwaukee River
Marengo this gaugeIL12.013.06 ft, Sep 4, 20180
BelvidereIL9.016.90 ft, Jan 24, 193813
PerryvilleIL12.023.54 ft, Jul 18, 19961

Other gauges in McHenry County

Flood gauges in McHenry County
Mchenry7.07.48 ft, Jun 26, 20130
Algonquin3.04.50 ft, Apr 1, 191612
Algonquin tailwater9.514.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
McHenry (Stratton Lock and Dam) tailwater4.09.00 ft, Jul 5, 19386
Johnsburg6.58.90 ft, Jul 4, 19382
Wonder Lake9.014.30 ft, Jun 11, 19671
Spring Grove11.014.26 ft, Sep 26, 19860

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MRGI2, 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.