Tool: Goshen's USGS River Gauge

The USGS river gauge near the Indiana Avenue bridge has collected publicly accessible data on river heights, flow velocities, and more since 1924. You can look at past data and sign-up for alerts at certain river heights on the USGS's page dedicated to Goshen's gauge.

The Stormwater Department regularly monitors our river heights in the days leading up to and following a storm event. At any particular moment, the gauge can give us a clue into the capacity of our river system to take on stormwater. A few contextual numbers can help you to also use the gauge and begin evaluating relative risks.

During a drought in 2020, the height of the river dropped just below 2 feet.

When the Elkhart River reaches 7 feet, it is considered to be at flood stage. At this point the river is still mostly within its regular flow path, but begins to reach into some floodplain areas.

The USGS classifies a river height of 11 feet as "major flood stage."

In February of 2018, the City of Goshen witnessed one of its largest flood events in modern memory. The Elkhart River topped out at 12.53 feet—the highest recorded river height since the gauge was installed in 2007.

To see what various river heights mean for the extent of inundated (flooded) areas in Goshen, check out the modeling done by the USGS below.

Using river elevation height information from a river gauge located at the Indiana Avenue Bridge, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) looked at the areas of Goshen that would be inundated (covered in water) as the height of the river rises.

Use the tool below to scroll through and see how inundation changes with every foot rise in river height. Don't miss the legend icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the map and take advantage of the zoom capabilities!