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Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs

Highest listed crest 10.65 ftFlood stage 7.5 ft70 crests since 1946

The Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs crested above flood stage 37 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1946 to 2020. The highest, 10.65 ft on April 18, 2013, was minor flooding, 3.15 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Salt Creek (IL) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.65 ft
April 18, 2013; 3,980 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
37 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 18, 2020
9.45 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cook County
Near La Grange Park (1.5 mi), Western Springs (1.6 mi), Westchester (1.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs
Action stage7.021Aug 27, 2012The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.537May 18, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1946 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs, 1946 to 2020 4681012ft Flood stage 7.5 ft Jan 9, 1946: 6.24 ft, below flood stage; 775 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1947: 6.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 1,920 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1949: 6.35 ft, below flood stage; 836 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1950: 7.36 ft, action stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1952: 6.63 ft, below flood stage; 925 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1953: 5.30 ft, below flood stage; 506 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1954: 7.18 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1954: 8.27 ft, minor flooding; 1,710 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1956: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 624 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1957: 7.39 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1958: 6.93 ft, below flood stage; 778 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 7.16 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 7.01 ft, action stage; 940 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1963: 5.82 ft, below flood stage; 585 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1964: 5.92 ft, below flood stage; 650 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1966: 7.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1967: 7.54 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 7.37 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1969: 7.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1970: 7.18 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1971: 6.44 ft, below flood stage; 739 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1972: 8.55 ft, minor flooding; 1,790 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1972: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 1,280 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 7.36 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1975: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 7.86 ft, minor flooding; 1,460 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1977: 6.93 ft, below flood stage; 1,000 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 7.24 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 8.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1980: 7.39 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 7.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1982: 7.43 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1982: 8.71 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 6.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1985: 8.21 ft, minor flooding; 1,850 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1985: 7.43 ft, action stage; 1,330 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1987: 10.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1988: 7.23 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1989: 7.82 ft, minor flooding; 1,360 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1990: 8.94 ft, minor flooding; 2,320 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1990: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1991: 7.18 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 7.23 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1994: 7.89 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1995: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 1,470 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1996: 8.11 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1998: 7.46 ft, action stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1999: 7.95 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2000: 7.89 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2001: 7.48 ft, action stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2001: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2003: 7.36 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2004: 7.14 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2005: 7.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,390 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2006: 7.25 ft, action stage; 945 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2006: 8.94 ft, minor flooding; 1,920 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 9.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 2012: 7.21 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 10.65 ft, minor flooding; 3,980 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2014: 8.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,990 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2017: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 2,730 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2018: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2019: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2019: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 1,957 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2020: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.65 ft, Apr 18, 2013 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 4 1970s: 5 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 1 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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Salt Creek (IL) at Western Springs
1Apr 18, 201310.65+3.15Minor3,980
2Aug 17, 198710.54+3.04Minor3,540
3Sep 14, 20089.92+2.42Minor2,890
4Jun 16, 20159.64+2.14Minor2,620
5Oct 15, 20179.56+2.06Minor2,730
6May 18, 20209.45+1.95Minor2,920
7Feb 21, 19979.35+1.85Minor2,510
8May 10, 19908.94+1.44Minor2,320
9Oct 3, 20068.94+1.44Minor1,920
10Feb 21, 20188.91+1.41Minor2,200
11Oct 14, 20018.81+1.31Minor2,080
12Dec 5, 19828.71+1.21Minor2,070
13Aug 22, 20148.63+1.13Minor1,990
14May 1, 20198.60+1.10Minor2,160
15Aug 28, 19728.55+1.05Minor1,790
16Mar 4, 19798.48+0.98Minor1,930
17May 28, 20198.33+0.83Minor1,957
18Nov 28, 19908.29+0.79Minor1,760
19Oct 11, 19548.27+0.77Minor1,710
20Mar 4, 19858.21+0.71Minor1,850
21Apr 19, 19758.14+0.64Minor1,600
22May 1, 20178.14+0.64Minor1,930
23May 28, 19968.11+0.61Minor1,650
24Sep 14, 19618.08+0.58Minor1,430
25Mar 20, 19488.06+0.56Minor1,920
26Apr 23, 19997.95+0.45Minor1,550
27Jun 25, 19947.89+0.39Minor1,520
28Apr 20, 20007.89+0.39Minor1,520
29Mar 5, 19767.86+0.36Minor1,460
30Aug 6, 19897.82+0.32Minor1,360
31Jan 13, 20057.69+0.19Minor1,390
32May 12, 19667.63+0.13Minor1,460
33Jul 17, 19697.63+0.13Minor1,040
34Jun 13, 19817.63+0.13Minor1,450
35Dec 30, 19727.59+0.09Minor1,280
36Jun 2, 19957.55+0.05Minor1,470
37Jun 13, 19677.54+0.04Minor1,350
38Sep 23, 20017.48−0.02Action1,280
39Sep 7, 19987.46−0.04Action1,470
40Mar 11, 19827.43−0.07Action1,330
41Nov 21, 19857.43−0.07Action1,330
42Jul 14, 19577.39−0.11Action1,020
43Jul 21, 19807.39−0.11Action1,370
44Aug 17, 19687.37−0.13Action1,220
45Apr 25, 19507.36−0.14Action1,360
46May 17, 19747.36−0.14Action1,160
47May 1, 20037.36−0.14Action1,220
48Sep 23, 20067.25−0.25Action945
49Jul 2, 19787.24−0.26Action1,150
50Apr 6, 19887.23−0.27Action1,180

The worst floods along the Salt Creek (IL)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Salt Creek (IL) that crested above flood stage within a week.

April 18, 2013: 10.65 ft here, minor flooding

  • Wood DaleIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 15.28 ft · Major
  • Oak BrookIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 57.40 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • ElmhurstIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 13.90 ft · Moderate
  • Rolling MeadowsIL · Apr 18, 2013 · 11.40 ft · Minor

August 17, 1987: 10.54 ft here, minor flooding

September 14, 2008: 9.92 ft here, minor flooding

  • Wood DaleIL · Sep 14, 2008 · 16.58 ft · Major · its highest
  • ElmhurstIL · Sep 14, 2008 · 13.27 ft · Moderate
  • Oak BrookIL · Sep 14, 2008 · 55.63 ft · Minor
  • Rolling MeadowsIL · Sep 13, 2008 · 12.99 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Salt Creek (IL)

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

Flood gauges on the Salt Creek (IL)
Rolling MeadowsIL8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Elk Grove VillageIL17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Wood DaleIL12.516.58 ft, Sep 14, 20082
ElmhurstIL11.015.83 ft, Aug 27, 19721
Oak BrookIL54.057.40 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Western Springs this gaugeIL7.510.65 ft, Apr 18, 20130

Other gauges in Cook County

Flood gauges in Cook County
Bellwood9.013.57 ft, Jul 24, 20104
Wheeling5.08.46 ft, Jun 26, 20136
Flossmoor9.013.08 ft, Apr 17, 20060
Markham10.012.00 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Chicago (Columbus Dr)3.05.50 ft, Oct 10, 19542
Chicago (Western Ave)4.05.26 ft, May 17, 20200
Chicago Heights10.012.87 ft, Sep 15, 20080
Des Plaines (Algonquin Road)13.021.00 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Lyons18.022.87 ft, Apr 18, 20132
River Forest16.018.98 ft, Apr 19, 20131
Riverside7.511.28 ft, Apr 18, 20137
Des Plaines15.020.92 ft, Apr 19, 20135
Lemont10.013.24 ft, May 18, 20200
Willow Springs10.010.57 ft, Apr 18, 20130
Lake Michigan at Calumet Harbor5.06.07 ft, Aug 11, 20200
Lake Michigan at Chicago (Chicago Lock)4.05.98 ft, Apr 29, 20200
Lansing7.010.18 ft, Oct 11, 19540
South Holland16.020.50 ft, Nov 28, 19905
Lemont6.011.10 ft, Jul 18, 19961
Mount Prospect5.08.08 ft, Aug 14, 19872
Oak Forest6.09.50 ft, Apr 5, 19472
Midlothian8.59.98 ft, Feb 2, 20160
Chicago (Grand Ave)3.05.70 ft, Oct 10, 19543
Chicago (Pulaski Rd)18.022.50 ft, Aug 14, 19871
Niles10.012.13 ft, Sep 14, 20082
Elgin5.57.69 ft, Sep 13, 20080
Elk Grove Village17.020.80 ft, May 18, 20200
Rolling Meadows8.514.03 ft, Aug 14, 19870
Worth31.036.50 ft, Oct 11, 19542
Glenwood8.511.14 ft, Jul 13, 19570
Thornton9.017.06 ft, Jun 14, 19816
Palos Park9.010.30 ft, Oct 10, 19540
Des Plaines9.015.09 ft, Jun 10, 19677
Northbrook7.010.10 ft, Aug 14, 19877

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WSPI2, 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.