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South Branch Kishwaukee River near Fairdale

Highest listed crest 13.37 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft95 crests since 1940

The South Branch Kishwaukee River near Fairdale crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 95 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2024. The highest, 13.37 ft on July 18, 1996, was major flooding, 4.37 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
13.37 ft
July 18, 1996; 25,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
1
101st of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 17, 2020
10.37 ft, minor flooding
Location
DeKalb County
Near Belvidere (10.7 mi), Rockford (13.2 mi), Sycamore (13.9 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 near Fairdale
Action stage6.558Jul 15, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.027May 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.01Jul 24, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.01Jul 18, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the South Branch Kishwaukee River near Fairdale, 1940 to 2024 468101214ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Mar 8, 1940: 6.67 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1941: 7.08 ft, action stageMar 20, 1941: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1941: 8.00 ft, action stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1943: 8.74 ft, action stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1944: 8.78 ft, action stage; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1945: 6.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1946: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 6,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1947: 6.43 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1947: 6.01 ft, below flood stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 8.73 ft, action stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1949: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1950: 7.99 ft, action stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1951: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 6,670 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 8.11 ft, action stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1954: 6.38 ft, below flood stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1954: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 5,910 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1957: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1958: 8.53 ft, action stage; 4,290 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1959: 8.57 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 8.80 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1962: 8.46 ft, action stage; 4,760 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1965: 8.81 ft, action stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 8.69 ft, action stage; 5,060 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1967: 7.07 ft, action stage; 2,850 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1968: 8.31 ft, action stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1969: 8.67 ft, action stage; 5,030 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1970: 8.44 ft, action stage; 3,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 8.38 ft, action stage; 3,930 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1972: 9.46 ft, minor flooding; 6,020 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 10.22 ft, minor flooding; 8,460 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1974: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 6,780 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1975: 8.18 ft, action stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1976: 9.59 ft, minor flooding; 6,690 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1978: 8.99 ft, action stage; 5,470 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1979: 10.45 ft, minor flooding; 7,600 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1980: 8.04 ft, action stage; 3,390 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 7.38 ft, action stage; 2,840 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1982: 8.11 ft, action stage; 3,460 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1983: 10.34 ft, minor flooding; 7,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1984: 8.94 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1985: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1986: 8.02 ft, action stage; 3,120 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1987: 9.94 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1988: 7.36 ft, action stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1989: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 5,370 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1990: 7.02 ft, action stage; 2,880 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1991: 7.12 ft, action stage; 3,070 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1993: 10.17 ft, minor flooding; 8,190 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1994: 10.31 ft, minor flooding; 8,790 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1995: 6.97 ft, action stage; 2,610 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1996: 13.37 ft, major flooding; 25,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1997: 10.71 ft, minor flooding; 9,940 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1998: 7.67 ft, action stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1999: 11.24 ft, minor flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2000: 7.00 ft, action stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 8.43 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2002: 10.96 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2003: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2004: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2005: 5.60 ft, below flood stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2007: 10.45 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2008: 9.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2008: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 5,010 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2010: 12.15 ft, moderate flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2011: 8.08 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 2011: 7.09 ft, action stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 10.01 ft, minor flooding; 6,740 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2014: 8.54 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2015: 7.91 ft, action stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 9.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2016: 7.87 ft, action stage; 3,080 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2017: 9.43 ft, minor flooding; 5,130 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2018: 8.89 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 7.40 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2018: 6.92 ft, action stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2018: 7.29 ft, action stage; 2,670 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2019: 6.91 ft, action stage; 2,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 8.79 ft, action stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 9.16 ft, minor flooding; 4,810 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 8.43 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2019: 7.82 ft, action stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2019: 7.32 ft, action stage; 2,700 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2019: 7.46 ft, action stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2020: 8.29 ft, action stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2020: 10.37 ft, minor flooding; 7,700 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2020: 6.55 ft, action stage; 2,040 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2021: 6.65 ft, action stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2022: 7.79 ft, action stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2022: 6.64 ft, action stage; 2,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2023: 6.52 ft, action stage; 2,020 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2023: 7.53 ft, action stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2024: 7.41 ft, action stage; 593 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2024: 6.79 ft, action stage; 2,470 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 2024: 8.16 ft, action stage; 3,540 cubic feet per second Highest, 13.37 ft, Jul 18, 1996 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Branch Kishwaukee River near Fairdale 1940s: 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 5 5 1980s: 4 1990s: 5 2000s: 5 2010s: 5 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 95 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, South Branch Kishwaukee River near Fairdale
1Jul 18, 199613.37+4.37Major25,400
2Jul 24, 201012.15+3.15Moderate13,900
3Jun 13, 199911.24+2.24Minor12,200
4Jun 4, 200210.96+1.96Minor10,900
5Feb 21, 199710.71+1.71Minor9,940
6Mar 19, 197910.45+1.45Minor7,600
7Aug 24, 200710.45+1.45Minor7,980
8May 17, 202010.37+1.37Minor7,700
9Jul 4, 198310.34+1.34Minor7,220
10Feb 20, 199410.31+1.31Minor8,790
11Apr 22, 197310.22+1.22Minor8,460
12Jun 9, 199310.17+1.17Minor8,190
13Apr 18, 201310.01+1.01Minor6,740
14Feb 24, 194910.00+1.00Minor6,000
15Aug 15, 19879.94+0.94Minor5,300
16May 17, 19749.65+0.65Minor6,780
17Mar 5, 19769.59+0.59Minor6,690
18Aug 26, 19729.46+0.46Minor6,020
19Jul 22, 20179.43+0.43Minor5,130
20Jun 16, 20159.40+0.40Minor4,850
21Mar 4, 19859.39+0.39Minor5,200
22Jan 5, 19469.35+0.35Minor6,840
23Jul 9, 19519.29+0.29Minor6,670
24Aug 4, 19899.29+0.29Minor5,370
25Mar 3, 20089.27+0.27Minor4,850
26Oct 12, 19549.25+0.25Minor5,910
27Mar 13, 20199.16+0.16Minor4,810
28Jun 12, 20049.13+0.13Minor5,110
29Dec 28, 20089.08+0.08Minor5,010
30Jul 2, 19788.99−0.01Action5,470
31Feb 13, 19848.94−0.06Action4,400
32Feb 20, 20188.89−0.11Action4,210
33Feb 6, 19658.81−0.19Action4,000
34Mar 30, 19608.80−0.20Action5,240
35Feb 24, 20198.79−0.21Action4,250
36Mar 14, 19448.78−0.22Action5,850
37Mar 15, 19438.74−0.26Action5,680
38Mar 19, 19488.73−0.27Action5,680
39Feb 10, 19668.69−0.31Action5,060
40Jan 23, 19698.67−0.33Action5,030
41Feb 23, 19598.57−0.43Action2,900
42Jul 1, 20148.54−0.46Action3,960
43Jul 3, 19588.53−0.47Action4,290
44Mar 19, 19628.46−0.54Action4,760
45Jun 3, 19708.44−0.56Action3,910
46Feb 25, 20018.43−0.57Action3,900
47May 2, 20198.43−0.57Action3,840
48Feb 19, 19718.38−0.62Action3,930
49Aug 17, 19688.31−0.69Action4,460
50Mar 28, 20208.29−0.71Action3,680

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 18, 1996: 13.37 ft here, major flooding

  • De KalbIL · Jul 18, 1996 · 12.97 ft · Major

February 21, 1997: 10.71 ft here, minor flooding

  • De KalbIL · Feb 21, 1997 · 12.64 ft · Major

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 KalbIL10.015.80 ft, Jul 2, 19836
Fairdale this gaugeIL9.013.37 ft, Jul 18, 19961

Other gauges in DeKalb County

Flood gauges in DeKalb County
De Kalb10.015.80 ft, Jul 2, 19836

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FDLI2, 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.