U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Fact Sheet FS-094-03

The storm front that moved across 

large parts of Indiana during the afternoon 

and evening of July 4, 2003, was more 

than a precursor to that night’s Independence Day fireworks. The showers at first 

were seen by Hoosiers as a welcome 

source of moisture for lawns, gardens, 

and cropland. This storm, however, turned 

out to be the opening salvo of a 2-week 

onslaught of torrential rains that resulted 

in record-breaking floods in many basins. 

The heaviest rains were concentrated in 

north-central Indiana, July 5–10.

During the 2 weeks of downpours, 

water filled floodplains, overtopped roadways, and poured into homes. While 

flood waters ravaged Indiana communities, field crews from the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) raced to gather vital 

hydrologic data. They measured the 

river flow and water levels to provide 

the information needed by river forecasters, engineers, and emergency managers 

who rely on data from the USGS network 

of about 170 Indiana streamflow-gaging 

stations (fig. 1). The network is funded 

in a cooperative program of federal, State, 

and local agencies, and is part of a 

national network maintained by the 

USGS. Many of these stations are 

equipped to transmit real-time streamflow 

data. In times of emergency, real-time 

streamflow information is a key element 

in the protection of lives and property. 

Real-time data are available to the public 

on the World Wide Web at 

http://in.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt

New Peaks of Record

During the July 2003 floods, new 

records were set at 12 USGS streamflowgaging stations in Indiana. The new peaks 

of record gage heights and new peaks of 

record discharges, along with other significant peaks, are listed in table 1. 

Discussion of the magnitude of the peaks 

follows.

Kokomo Creek and Wildcat Creek

Local news media reported nearly 

10 inches of rain falling on the Kokomo 

area, July 4–5. The deluge flooded streets 

and backed up storm sewers. The runoff 

overwhelmed Kokomo Creek, a tributary 

to Wildcat Creek. The July 5 peak discharge at the gaging station Kokomo 

Creek near Kokomo (03333600) was 

2,940 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). 

This discharge was more than double 

the designated 100-year-flood discharge of 1,400 ft3/s. (A 100-year 

flood is that discharge for which there 

is a 1-percent chance of occurrence 

in any given year.) Coordinated flood 

frequencies for selected reaches of 

Indiana streams are available in the 

Floods of North-Central Indiana, July 2003

Significant Items:

• New peaks of record 

at 12 USGS streamflowgaging stations 

in Indiana.

• 100-Year-Flood 

discharges on Deer 

Creek, Iroquois River, 

Kokomo Creek, 

St. Marys River, and 

the Wabash River.

• At White River at 

Noblesville, the water 

level exceeds the 1964 

and 1991 record water 

levels by one-half foot, 

even though the July 

2003 flood had 24 percent less discharge.

• Potential overall impact 

of flood is lessened 

as large volumes of 

water are dispersed 

to different major river 

basins, rather than 

concentrated toward 

a single major stream.

Figure 1. Map of U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging 

stations in Indiana, 2003. Stations in red set new record-peak 

discharge or gage height in July 2003 flood.
Table 1. Peaks for period of record and for July 2003 at selected U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Indiana

[ft, foot; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; --, no data; > , greater than; < , less than; S.O., stage-only gaging station, beginning October 1, 2001; red, sites where new peak recorded July 2003; eadding the station datum to the gage height]

Station number Station name

Station 

datum 

(ft)

Period of 

record, 

in water yearsa

aWater year is the 12-month period October 1 through September 30. The 2003 water year, for example, includes October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003.

Discharge peak 

of record (ft3/s) 

through 2002 water year

Gage-height 

peak of record (ft)

through 2002 water year

Gage-height (ft) 

extreme outside 

period of record

Date and time 

of peak 

in July 2003

Di

03322900 Wabash River at Linn Grove, IN 808.00 1965–2003 9,560 March 17, 1978 13.87 March 17, 1978 -- July 8 0500 103322985 Wabash River near Bluffton, IN 795.42 2002–2003 4,640 April 1, 2002 12.88 April 1, 2002 -- July 9 103323500 Wabash River at Huntington, IN 700.04 1951–2003 S.O. 23.20 February 10, 1959 22.7 March 1913 July 11 0600 Un03325000 Wabash River at Wabash, IN 642.66 1923–2003 49,600 May 18, 1943 24.44 February 11, 1959 28.7 March 26, 1913 July 7 1100 103329000 Wabash River at Logansport, IN 573.28 1923–2003b

bFragmented periods of data exist for other years.

 89,800 May 18, 1943 21.32 May 18, 1943 25.3 March 26, 1913 July 7 1200 3

03329700 Deer Creek near Delphi, IN 553.81 1944–2003 14,400 June 10, 1958 18.26 June 10, 1958 19.8 May 1943 July 5 2130 103331753 Tippecanoe River at Winamac, IN 674.19 2001–2003 4,600 May 16, 2002 11.48 May 16, 2002 -- July 11 0900 03333050 Tippecanoe River near Delphi, IN 535.00 1939–2003b 20,600 April 12, 1994 13.72 April 12, 1994 -- July 10 0800 103333450 Wildcat Creek near Jerome, IN 820.04 1961–2993 7,120 July 14, 1992 13.71 December 30, 1990 18 March 1913 July 6 0015 03333600 Kokomo Creek near Kokomo, IN 807.68 1959–2003 1,040 April 20, 1964 9.88 April 20, 1964 -- July 5 0630 03333700 Wildcat Creek at Kokomo, IN 775.62 1956–2003 8,100 February 10, 1959 16.95 December 30, 1990 -- July 5 1115 03335000 Wildcat Creek near Lafayette, IN 527.66 1954–2003 25,000 June 10, 1958 21.52 June 10, 1958 25.4 March 1913 July 7 0000 203335500 Wabash River at Lafayette, IN 504.14 1924–2003b 131,000 May 19, 1943 28.47 May 19, 1943 32.9 March 26, 1913 July 10 1800 803336000 Wabash River at Covington, IN 473.97 1940–2003 147,000 May 20, 1943 32.44 May 20, 1943 35.1 March 1913 July 11 1000 803340500 Wabash River at Montezuma, IN 457.75 1928–2003 184,000 May 20, 1943 32.83 May 20, 1943 34.0 March 27, 1913 July 12 0900 1003341500 Wabash River at Terre Haute, IN 445.78 1928–2003b 189,000 May 20, 1943 30.50 May 20, 1943 31.2 March 27, 1913 July 13 1900 903347000 White River at Muncie, IN 917.10 1931–2003 14,300 April 21, 1964 21.07 January 15, 1937 22.6 March 1913 July 10 1000 03349000 White River at Noblesville, IN 738.16 1947–2003 27,000 December 31, 1990 21.31 April 22, 1964 -- July 10 1550 203351000 White River near Nora, IN 710.94 1930–2003 32,400 May 19, 1943 19.19 January 1, 1991 22.4 March 26, 1913 July 11 0100 203353000 White River at Indianapolis, IN 662.26 1930–2003b 38,000 December 31, 1990 21.57 January 16, 1937 30.0 March 26, 1913 July 11 0300 203354000 White River near Centerton, IN 595.44 1947–2003b 50,500 April 22, 1964 18.38 December 31, 1990 22.8 March 1913 July 12 0600 303360500 White River at Newberry, IN 465.59 1928–2003 105,000 November 18, 1993 25.87 November 18, 1993 27.5 March 27, 1913 July 15 2000 303374000 White River at Petersburg, IN 400.00 1928–2003 183,000 January 22, 1937 28.30 January 22, 1937 29.5 March 1913 July 18 0400 403377500 Wabash River at Mount Carmel, IL 369.46 1928–2003b 305,000 May 25, 1943 32.35 May 17, 2002 33.0 March 30, 1913 July 20 0900 1104181500 St. Marys River at Decatur, IN 760.44 1947–2003 11,300 February 10, 1959 24.40 March 14, 1982 -- July 9 0800 104182000 St. Marys River near Fort Wayne, IN 748.97 1931–2003 13,600 February 11, 1959 19.66 March 14, 1982 -- July 9 2300 104183000 Maumee River at New Haven, IN 724.51 1957–2003b 26,600 March 17, 1982 25.49 March 17, 1982 -- July 10 0900 105521000 Iroquois River at Rosebud, IN 661.47 1948–2003 656 December 30, 1990 8.86 February 10, 1959 -- July 21 1615 05522500 Iroquois River at Rensselaer, IN 642.29 1948–2003 2,550 June 10, 1958 16.54 June 10, 1958 -- July 10 1200 05524500 Iroquois River near Foresman, IN 624.00 1949–2003 5,930 June 14, 1958 24.42 June 14, 1958 -- July 8 1915 >

cBackwater is the condition when water is backed up or retarded in its course, compared with its normal condition of flow.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources online publication, Coordinated 

Discharges of Selected Streams in 

Indiana at 

http://www.state.in.us/dnr/water/

surface_water/coordinated_discharges/

index.html

The peak gage height for the station 

was 11.84 ft (feet), nearly 2 ft above 

the previous record set in 1964 (table 1). 

Most reaches of Wildcat Creek registered discharges in the range of a 30-year 

flood, as indicated by data collected at 

the gaging stations located near Jerome 

(03333450), at Kokomo (03333700), and 

near Lafayette (03335000).

St. Marys River

The St. Marys River at Decatur 

gaging station (04181500) recorded 

the peak gage height on July 9 at more 

than 2.5 ft above the previous peak of 

record in March 1982. The discharge 

was greater than a 100-year flood. Even 

though the St. Marys River peaked at the 

St. Marys near Fort Wayne gaging 

station (04182000) at more than 1.5 ft 

above the 1982 flood level and the discharge was in the range of the 100-year 

flood, the city of Fort Wayne was spared 

a repeat of the 1982 devastation. In July 

2003, the St. Joseph River, which flows 

from the north to join the St. Marys 

River to form the Maumee River, did 

not receive excessive amounts of precipitation. Consequently, the July 10 peak 

discharge at the Maumee River at New 

Haven gaging station (04183000) was 

less than a 10-year flood.

Wabash River

The July 8 crest at the Wabash River 

at Linn Grove gaging station (03322900) 

set new records. The peak gage height 

of 14.76 ft was almost 1 ft above the previous peak of record in March 1978. 

The peak discharge of 14,500 ft3/s was 

greater than a 100-year discharge.

The heavy rains generated a surge 

of water flowing down the upper reaches 

of the Wabash River, as indicated by the 

flows at Linn Grove. Much of this surge 

was captured in J. Edward Roush Lake 

in Huntington. The peak discharges on 

July 7 were less than a 10-year flood at 

Wabash River at Wabash (03325000) and 

Wabash River at Logansport (03329000), 

about 22 and 55 miles, respectively, 

downstream from the lake. Farther 

downstream, the Wabash River at Lafayette gaging station (03335500) peaked 

on July 10 with discharges in the 30-

year-flood range. The Wabash River 

at Covington gaging station (03336000) 

peaked on July 11 with discharges also 

in the 30-year-flood range.

The peaks attenuated as the flows 

continued downstream. At the Wabash 

River at Montezuma gaging station 

(03340500), where local police assisted 

USGS field crews in launching their 

boat, the river peaked on July 12 with 

discharges in the 15-year-flood range. 

The Wabash River at Terre Haute gaging 

station (03341500) peaked on July 13 

with discharges in the 10-year-flood 

range. 

Although the initial surge of water 

from the upper reaches of the Wabash 

River Basin was captured by J. Edward 

Roush Lake, continued large flows 

into the lake required lake managers to 

release water when the lake’s holding 

capacity had been exceeded. The stageonly gaging station, Wabash River at 

Huntington (03323500), just below the 

outflow structure of the lake, recorded 

a peak gage height of 19.37 ft on July 11. 

This was the highest water level since the 

peak of record, 23.20 ft, February 10, 

1959, which was prior to construction of 

the reservoir.

Deer Creek

The media reported loss of life in the 

Delphi area when high waters flooded 

homes and neighborhoods. At the 

Deer Creek near Delphi gaging station 

(03329700), the July 5 peak gage height 

of 18.64 ft exceeded the previous record 

peak of 18.26 ft, set in June 1958. The 

peak discharge of 16,200 ft3/s was in 

the range of a 100-year flood.

The Wabash River floods major roadways near the town of Bluffton, Indiana.

The Wabash River rises near the town of Montezuma, Indiana.
Iroquois River

In the Iroquois River Basin, on the 

western side of the State, peaks gained 

in magnitude as flows moved downstream. The July 9 discharge at the 

Iroquois River at Rosebud gaging station 

(05521000) was in the range of a 40-year 

flood. By the time the Iroquois River 

peaked at the Rensselaer gaging station 

(05522500) on July 10, discharges were 

in the 100-year-flood range, eclipsing 

the June 1958 discharge. At the Iroquois 

River near Foresman gaging station 

(05524500), roads were submerged as 

water pooled up in the area faster than 

it could be drained, causing significant 

backwater conditions. Local citizens 

assisted USGS field crews by transporting them to the gaging station, using 

large trucks. The July 11 peak gage 

height at Foresman reached 24.87 ft, 

nearly one-half foot above the previous 

peak of record set in June 1958.

Intense rainfall several days later in 

the Wheatfield area caused the Iroquois 

River at Rosebud gaging station to peak 

on July 21 in the range of a 100-yearflood discharge. The effects of that later 

storm, however, seemed to lessen as the 

flow moved to the downstream stations.

White River

In parts of Marion and Hamilton 

Counties, large tracts of land along with 

homes and businesses were inundated 

by White River flood waters. At the 

White River at Muncie gaging station 

(03347000), the July 10 peak discharge 

was less than a 10-year flood. Downstream, peak discharges at White River at 

Noblesville (03349000) and White River 

near Nora (03351000) gaging stations 

were in the 10-year-flood range. Farther 

downstream, the peak discharges diminished to less than a 10-year flood.

At the White River at Noblesville 

gaging station, a new record gage height 

was reached, even though the discharge 

was in the range of a 10-year flood. The 

previous peak-of-record gage height 

was on April 22, 1964, when the gage 

height reached 21.31 ft, with a discharge 

of 26,800 ft3/s. The peak-of-record 

discharge, 27,000 ft3/s, was on December 31, 1990, when the gage height 

reached 21.29 ft. On July 10, 2003, 

the stream peaked at a discharge of 

20,400 ft3/s, with a new record gage 

height of 21.86 ft. Even though the peak 

discharge for the most recent flood was 

about 24 percent less than the two previous record peaks, the gage height crested 

about one-half foot higher.

Distribution of Flood Waters

The July 2003 flood was notable 

not only in the magnitude of the peaks 

but also in the number of separate basins 

affected. By the end of July, the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (http://

www.fema.gov) listed 40 Indiana counties as declared disaster areas. Although 

the destruction caused by the flooding 

was significant, the geographic patterns 

of the precipitation resulted in the dispersal of large volumes of water, thus 

averting a concentration of the runoff 

toward a single receiving stream. The 

flood waters of the Iroquois River 

drained west toward the Illinois River, 

and the flood waters on the St. Marys 

River drained east into Ohio by way of 

the Maumee River. The upper Wabash 

River and upper White River drained 

south, with the peaks attenuating as they 

moved downstream into areas where 

there had been less rainfall.

By Donald V. Arvin, Hieu T. Nguyen, 

and L. Mark Huff

For more information, 

please contact:

District Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

5957 Lakeside Boulevard

Indianapolis, IN 46278

317-290-3333

Fax: (317) 290-3313

E-mail: dc_in@usgs.gov

Additional information can be found 

by accessing the Indiana District Home 

Page on the World Wide Web at

http://in.water.usgs.gov

U.S. Geological Survey streamgager is shin deep in the Iroquois River as she 

inspects the gage near Foresman, Indiana.

Kokomo Creek flows over the bridge in the town of Kokomo, Indiana, as a 

U.S. Geological Survey streamgager prepares to make a discharge measurement.