Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Saline Branch above 1700E near Urbana

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

93of 100

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Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near Saline Branch above 1700E near Urbana
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Empty billboard Urbana Illinois.jpg by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

5 mph

gusting to 7 mph

Air temp

71°F

48% chance of rain

River flow

37.7 cfs

normal for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Wednesday · 100

  • Today

    31

  • Sun

    60

  • Mon

    94

  • Tue

    96

  • Wed

    100

    Best

  • Thu

    87

  • Fri

    86

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
12p57
1p57
2p710
3p78
4p813
5p1116
6p1021
7p921
8p1332
9p1431
10p1533
11p1226

Is this flow normal for August 1?

Today's 37.7 cfs is 30% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 29 cfs, across 16 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind5 mph — calm, ideal for any boat±0
  • Rain48% chance in the next 6 hours-7

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but we haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Illinois