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Pecatonica River near Shirland

Highest listed crest 18.08 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft66 crests since 1940

The Pecatonica River near Shirland crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 18.08 ft on March 25, 1975, was major flooding, 6.08 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Pecatonica River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.08 ft
March 25, 1975
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.5 ft
Crests at major
11
25th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
July 19, 2024
12.82 ft, minor flooding
Location
Winnebago County
Near Roscoe (8.5 mi), Machesney Park (9.1 mi), Beloit (10.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pecatonica River near Shirland
Action stage11.07Jun 26, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.023Jul 19, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.016Oct 11, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.511Oct 7, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1940 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pecatonica River near Shirland, 1940 to 2024 8101214161820ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 15.5 ft Aug 28, 1940: 13.54 ft, minor flooding; 7,900 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1941: 13.08 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1942: 11.71 ft, action stage; 6,290 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1943: 15.38 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1944: 14.88 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1945: 10.77 ft, below flood stage; 5,400 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1947: 11.23 ft, action stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1948: 16.73 ft, major flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1949: 15.04 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1950: 13.40 ft, minor flooding; 7,930 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1951: 13.33 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1952: 14.91 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1953: 14.18 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1954: 9.90 ft, below flood stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1955: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 8,960 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1956: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1957: 8.52 ft, below flood stage; 3,490 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1958: 12.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,800 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1959: 17.45 ft, major flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1960: 17.08 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 15.09 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1963: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 9,810 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1964: 8.79 ft, below flood stage; 3,720 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1965: 14.11 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1966: 14.03 ft, moderate flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1967: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,770 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1967: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1969: 15.93 ft, major floodingMar 3, 1970: 9.86 ft, below flood stage; 4,580 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 16.50 ft, major flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1972: 12.10 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 1973: 15.70 ft, major floodingMar 6, 1974: 14.65 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 1975: 18.08 ft, major floodingMar 8, 1976: 12.46 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1979: 13.98 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1985: 14.90 ft, moderate floodingJul 8, 1990: 13.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1994: 14.64 ft, moderate floodingJun 16, 2000: 14.41 ft, moderate floodingMay 16, 2003: 8.64 ft, below flood stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2005: 13.86 ft, minor flooding; 5,010 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2006: 9.29 ft, below flood stage; 4,360 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2007: 13.73 ft, minor flooding; 9,410 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2008: 15.09 ft, moderate flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2009: 13.49 ft, minor flooding; 9,320 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2010: 15.89 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2011: 11.99 ft, action stage; 6,930 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2013: 14.52 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2017: 12.19 ft, minor flooding; 6,985 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2018: 15.58 ft, major flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2018: 12.46 ft, minor flooding; 6,840 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2018: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 15.27 ft, moderate flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2019: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2019: 16.46 ft, major flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2019: 12.85 ft, minor flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 2019: 13.51 ft, minor flooding; 8,710 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2019: 15.52 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2020: 11.49 ft, action stage; 6,070 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2021: 11.70 ft, action stage; 6,350 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2022: 13.68 ft, minor flooding; 9,490 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2023: 11.81 ft, action stage; 6,460 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2024: 13.05 ft, minor flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2024: 11.20 ft, action stage; 5,120 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2024: 12.82 ft, minor flooding; 7,920 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.08 ft, Mar 25, 1975 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pecatonica River near Shirland 1940s: 6 1950s: 7 1960s: 7 1970s: 7 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 5 2010s: 12 12 2020s: 3 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pecatonica River near Shirland
1Mar 25, 197518.08+6.08Major—
2Apr 4, 195917.45+5.45Major16,600
3Apr 3, 196017.08+5.08Major16,000
4Mar 21, 194816.73+4.73Major15,200
5Feb 19, 197116.50+4.50Major14,800
6Mar 17, 201916.46+4.46Major21,600
7Jul 6, 196915.93+3.93Major—
8Jul 28, 201015.89+3.89Major15,100
9May 11, 197315.70+3.70Major—
10Feb 24, 201815.58+3.58Major14,200
11Oct 7, 201915.52+3.52Major15,100
12Mar 18, 194315.38+3.38Moderate12,600
13Oct 11, 201815.27+3.27Moderate12,700
14Mar 30, 196215.09+3.09Moderate12,000
15Jun 17, 200815.09+3.09Moderate12,800
16Mar 8, 194915.04+3.04Moderate11,800
17Mar 21, 195214.91+2.91Moderate11,600
18Feb 28, 198514.90+2.90Moderate—
19Mar 17, 194414.88+2.88Moderate11,600
20Mar 6, 197414.65+2.65Moderate—
21Feb 24, 199414.64+2.64Moderate—
22Apr 21, 201314.52+2.52Moderate11,500
23Jun 16, 200014.41+2.41Moderate—
24Feb 23, 195314.18+2.18Moderate10,200
25Feb 12, 196514.11+2.11Moderate10,100
26Sep 9, 201814.10+2.10Moderate9,840
27Feb 14, 196614.03+2.03Moderate9,930
28Mar 25, 197913.98+1.98Minor—
29Mar 21, 196313.97+1.97Minor9,810
30Feb 18, 200513.86+1.86Minor5,010
31Aug 25, 200713.73+1.73Minor9,410
32Aug 14, 202213.68+1.68Minor9,490
33Aug 28, 194013.54+1.54Minor7,900
34Sep 19, 201913.51+1.51Minor8,710
35Feb 22, 195513.50+1.50Minor8,960
36Jul 8, 199013.50+1.50Minor—
37Mar 10, 200913.49+1.49Minor9,320
38Jul 23, 195013.40+1.40Minor7,930
39Jul 16, 195113.33+1.33Minor8,600
40Mar 25, 194113.08+1.08Minor7,800
41Apr 8, 202413.05+1.05Minor7,660
42Jun 2, 201912.85+0.85Minor7,500
43Jul 19, 202412.82+0.82Minor7,920
44Mar 8, 197612.46+0.46Minor—
45Jun 24, 201812.46+0.46Minor6,840
46Mar 1, 195812.31+0.31Minor3,800
47Mar 1, 201912.21+0.21Minor6,500
48Jul 2, 201712.19+0.19Minor6,985
49Apr 3, 196712.10+0.10Minor6,770
50Mar 17, 197212.10+0.10Minor—

The worst floods along the Pecatonica River

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

March 25, 1975: 18.08 ft here, major flooding

April 4, 1959: 17.45 ft here, major flooding

April 3, 1960: 17.08 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Pecatonica River

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

Flood gauges on the Pecatonica River
DarlingtonWI13.520.71 ft, Jul 16, 195014
BlanchardvilleWI11.016.54 ft, Jul 6, 19933
MartintownWI13.522.41 ft, Mar 16, 20192
FreeportIL13.017.27 ft, Mar 17, 201914
Shirland this gaugeIL12.018.08 ft, Mar 25, 197511

Other gauges in Winnebago County

Flood gauges in Winnebago County
Perryville12.023.54 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Latham Park9.014.70 ft, Mar 26, 19753
Rockford (Auburn Street)6.010.00 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockford (Fordam Dam)4.06.50 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockton10.015.54 ft, Mar 25, 19754

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SIRI2, 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.