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South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb

Highest listed crest 15.80 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft51 crests since 1926

The South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2024. The highest, 15.80 ft on July 2, 1983, was major flooding, 5.80 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the South Branch Kishwaukee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.80 ft
July 2, 1983; 3,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.5 ft
Crests at major
6
48th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 15, 2020
11.25 ft, moderate flooding
Location
DeKalb County
Near DeKalb (0.7 mi), Sycamore (6.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb
Action stage8.516Mar 29, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.05May 12, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.05May 15, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.56Aug 24, 2007Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1926 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb, 1926 to 2024 46810121416ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 12.5 ft Feb 25, 1926: 10.78 ft, minor flooding; 690 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1927: 12.28 ft, moderate flooding; 958 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1928: 9.51 ft, action stage; 508 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1929: 12.33 ft, moderate flooding; 978 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1930: 8.41 ft, below flood stage; 396 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1931: 8.18 ft, below flood stage; 368 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1932: 8.99 ft, action stage; 481 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1933: 9.72 ft, action stage; 591 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1954: 15.24 ft, major floodingOct 11, 1954: 15.24 ft, major floodingSep 9, 1980: 11.32 ft, moderate flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1981: 9.61 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1982: 9.04 ft, action stage; 718 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1983: 15.80 ft, major flooding; 3,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1984: 8.56 ft, action stage; 787 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1985: 9.91 ft, action stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1986: 8.60 ft, action stage; 910 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1987: 10.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1988: 7.90 ft, below flood stage; 694 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1989: 7.91 ft, below flood stage; 697 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1990: 7.80 ft, below flood stage; 671 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1991: 9.03 ft, action stage; 1,170 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 9.13 ft, action stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1995: 7.64 ft, below flood stage; 806 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1996: 12.97 ft, major flooding; 2,280 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 12.64 ft, major flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 7.78 ft, below flood stage; 750 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1999: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2000: 7.51 ft, below flood stage; 818 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 8.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2002: 9.86 ft, action stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2003: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 760 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 10.62 ft, minor flooding; 1,270 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2005: 5.63 ft, below flood stageAug 24, 2007: 15.34 ft, major flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2008: 11.28 ft, moderate flooding; 2,230 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 9.29 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2010: 9.44 ft, action stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2011: 9.30 ft, action stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2013: 8.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 10.84 ft, minor flooding; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2014: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 923 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 9.52 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2016: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 7.71 ft, below flood stage; 894 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 8.15 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2019: 8.22 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 7.38 ft, below flood stage; 780 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2020: 8.61 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2020: 11.25 ft, moderate flooding; 1,890 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2024: 7.89 ft, below flood stage; 871 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.80 ft, Jul 2, 1983 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb 1920s: 3 3 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Branch Kishwaukee River at De Kalb
1Jul 2, 198315.80+5.80Major3,500
2Aug 24, 200715.34+5.34Major3,100
3Oct 1, 195415.24+5.24Major—
4Oct 11, 195415.24+5.24Major—
5Jul 18, 199612.97+2.97Major2,280
6Feb 21, 199712.64+2.64Major2,170
7Jun 12, 192912.33+2.33Moderate978
8May 24, 192712.28+2.28Moderate958
9Sep 9, 198011.32+1.32Moderate1,510
10Sep 14, 200811.28+1.28Moderate2,230
11May 15, 202011.25+1.25Moderate1,890
12Aug 27, 198710.97+0.97Minor1,600
13Apr 18, 201310.84+0.84Minor1,880
14Feb 25, 192610.78+0.78Minor690
15May 12, 201610.70+0.70Minor1,940
16May 31, 200410.62+0.62Minor1,270
17Mar 3, 19859.91−0.09Action1,130
18Jun 5, 20029.86−0.14Action1,090
19Jul 2, 19339.72−0.28Action591
20Jun 14, 19819.61−0.39Action1,050
21Jun 16, 20159.52−0.48Action1,410
22Jul 4, 19289.51−0.49Action508
23May 13, 20109.44−0.56Action1,280
24May 30, 20119.30−0.70Action1,210
25Mar 9, 20099.29−0.71Action1,370
26Mar 24, 19939.13−0.87Action1,310
27Jul 22, 19829.04−0.96Action718
28May 26, 19919.03−0.97Action1,170
29Mar 27, 19328.99−1.01Action481
30Mar 29, 20208.61−1.39Action1,110
31May 18, 19868.60−1.40Action910
32Feb 14, 19848.56−1.44Action787
33Mar 11, 20138.44−1.56Below flood stage1,070
34Apr 17, 19308.41−1.59Below flood stage396
35May 11, 20038.35−1.65Below flood stage760
36Apr 13, 19998.34−1.66Below flood stage1,080
37Feb 25, 20018.33−1.67Below flood stage1,080
38Mar 10, 20198.22−1.78Below flood stage1,050
39Jun 23, 19318.18−1.82Below flood stage368
40Feb 20, 20188.15−1.85Below flood stage1,030
41Mar 12, 20147.92−2.08Below flood stage923
42Jul 30, 19897.91−2.09Below flood stage697
43Jan 31, 19887.90−2.10Below flood stage694
44Jul 16, 20247.89−2.11Below flood stage871
45Mar 11, 19907.80−2.20Below flood stage671
46May 8, 19987.78−2.22Below flood stage750
47May 1, 20177.71−2.29Below flood stage894
48May 24, 19957.64−2.36Below flood stage806
49Jun 12, 20007.51−2.49Below flood stage818
50Sep 13, 20197.38−2.62Below flood stage780

The worst floods along the South Branch Kishwaukee River

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

July 2, 1983: 15.80 ft here, major flooding

  • FairdaleIL · Jul 4, 1983 · 10.34 ft · Minor

August 24, 2007: 15.34 ft here, major flooding

  • FairdaleIL · Aug 24, 2007 · 10.45 ft · Minor

October 11, 1954: 15.24 ft here, major flooding

  • FairdaleIL · Oct 12, 1954 · 9.25 ft · Minor

Gauges on the South Branch Kishwaukee River

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

Flood gauges on the South Branch Kishwaukee River
De Kalb this gaugeIL10.015.80 ft, Jul 2, 19836
FairdaleIL9.013.37 ft, Jul 18, 19961

Other gauges in DeKalb County

Flood gauges in DeKalb County
Fairdale9.013.37 ft, Jul 18, 19961

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DEKI2, 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.