About Rain Gages

About the Rain Gage Network

NOTE:  SMC will use the USGS spelling of "gage" when referring to all gauges.

In the mid-1990s, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) reached out to local partners with the hopes of installing a series of rain gages across Lake County.  Several entities agreed and SMC started installing rain gages in cooperation with local partners.  Local Partners would provide the location, power, and phone lines for the gages, while SMC would provide the gage and any maintenance when necessary.  At the peak, SMC, with the cooperation of Local Partners around Lake County operated 17 rain gages.

Over the years, technology changed, and an increasing number of rain gages were becoming accessible online.  Today, SMC relies on United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Dashboard, National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) gages, Community, Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRHaS) gages, and Personal Weather Station gages across Lake County.  SMC still has one functional rain gage in the Village of Lindenhurst.

USGS Rain & Stream Gages


The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) maintains over a dozen stream gages in Lake County. SMC cost-shares operational funding for 4 of these gages located at:
  • Russell Road at Des Plaines River
    (USGS Site No. 05527800, Rain Data, Stream Discharge and Water Level Monitoring)
  • Gurnee - Route 120 at Des Plaines River
    (USGS Site No. 05528000, Rain Data, Stream Discharge and Water Level Monitoring)
  • Hunt Club Road at Mill Creek
    (USGS Site No. 05527950, Stream Discharge and Water Level Monitoring)
  • Lincolnshire - Route 22 at Des Plaines River
    (USGS Site No. 05528100, Stream Discharge and Water Level Monitoring)
NOTE:  SMC will use the USGS spelling of "gage" when referring to all "gauges".

For information on all Illinois USGS-operated stream gages, click here.

Disclaimer


Rainfall data is collected from various sources and therefore is provisional and subject to revision.  The user assumes the entire risk related to the use if this data.  SMC provides such information "as is," and SMC disclaims any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will SMC be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data.