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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Sep 27, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 526% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 46,800 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
116
State percent normal
526%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Sep 27
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Flow briefing · Sep 27, 2026

Iowa river conditions today

Where rivers are running versus normal, what’s spiking and what’s coming — refreshed daily from USGS and NOAA.

Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 526% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 46,800 cfs and a gauge stage of 11.28 ft.

Meanwhile, the East Fork 102 River At Bedford is seeing a spike today — up 1139% since yesterday and currently running near peak.

Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into Iowa's named rivers.

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Active weather warnings for Iowa

# Iowa Natural Disaster Alert

Major flooding is currently occurring along the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt, affecting Scott and Clinton Counties in eastern Iowa. The Flood Warning remains in effect until Thursday, October 1st at 5:00 PM CDT. At 12.6 feet as of Saturday evening, water levels are already impacting old U.S. Highway 61 near the river. Residents in De Witt and surrounding communities should avoid flooded roadways and remain alert for rapidly changing conditions. The river is expected to fall below flood stage Thursday morning and continue declining through the weekend. Those in affected areas should monitor updates from the National Weather Service Quad Cities office and heed all evacuation orders.

Source: National Weather Service

Iowa vs normal

How Iowa’s rivers compare to normal

Every gauge placed by its own percent of normal, and three years of the statewide trend.

Where every gauge actually sits

One dot per Iowa streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.

State average 526%
0% 50% 100% · normal 150% 200%+
Much below normalunder 50% Below normal50–90% Near normal90–110% Above normal110–150% Much above normalover 150%

Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.

Iowa streamflow, three water years

Statewide percent of normal, every day since Sep 2023. The dotted line is normal.

526% of normal today
+468pts vs this day last year (58%)
273of 366 days below normal, past year
727% 3-year peak · Sep 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Sep 2023 202420252026 Sep 27, 2026

799 daily readings from 116 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 43 readings above that — including the 727% peak in Sep 2026 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.

Iowa flow report

116 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05420500
43,100 cfs 10.67 ft 66°F 56°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05465500
33,200 cfs 20.42 ft 49°F 58°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05465000
20,200 cfs 12.59 ft · 58°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05489500
19,900 cfs 7.39 ft 67°F 58°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488500
18,800 cfs 8.08 ft · 59°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05490500
18,400 cfs 15.51 ft 66°F 57°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488110
18,100 cfs 91.86 ft 66°F 58°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05464500
15,100 cfs 7.92 ft 62°F 58°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05485500
10,200 cfs 15.72 ft · 60°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05422000
9,460 cfs 12.51 ft · 57°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05474000
9,260 cfs 8.77 ft · 59°F 553 ft Skunk
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05455700
9,190 cfs 11.90 ft · 58°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05464000
7,450 cfs 7.66 ft · 57°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05454500
6,580 cfs 15.83 ft · 58°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484500
6,470 cfs 8.05 ft 32°F 61°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05463050
6,340 cfs 78.70 ft · 57°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484650
6,050 cfs 25.39 ft · 61°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484900
6,010 cfs 7.14 ft · 60°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05453520
5,980 cfs 53.46 ft · 58°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05421740
5,810 cfs 11.91 ft · 57°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06817000
5,090 cfs 14.23 ft · 62°F 966 ft West Nodaway
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05471500
5,030 cfs 16.30 ft · 58°F 692 ft South Skunk
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05453100
4,650 cfs 12.10 ft · 57°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482000
4,610 cfs 17.00 ft 32°F 60°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481650
4,260 cfs 6.09 ft · 60°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06898000
3,970 cfs 5.63 ft · 60°F 910 ft Thompson
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06810000
3,930 cfs 13.83 ft · 64°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05487470
3,910 cfs 13.88 ft · 60°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05452500
3,540 cfs 11.43 ft · 57°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481300
3,520 cfs 7.70 ft · 59°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05418500
3,510 cfs 14.60 ft · 56°F 646 ft Maquoketa
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05421000
3,450 cfs 7.45 ft · 57°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05412500
3,390 cfs 9.85 ft 62°F 57°F 646 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05458300
3,220 cfs 3.77 ft 61°F 59°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05458500
3,160 cfs 3.71 ft · 57°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484000
2,880 cfs 6.41 ft 32°F 61°F 917 ft South Raccoon
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05486490
2,330 cfs 13.49 ft · 60°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05472500
2,050 cfs 11.10 ft · 57°F 664 ft North Skunk
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05471050
1,990 cfs 11.62 ft · 59°F 793 ft South Skunk
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05451500
1,840 cfs 12.16 ft · 57°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
English River At Kalona, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05455500
1,800 cfs 9.37 ft · 58°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05480500
1,780 cfs 4.84 ft · 60°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,680 cfs 4.37 ft · 55°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06808500
1,670 cfs 10.82 ft 64°F 63°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,600 cfs 8.86 ft · 59°F 882 ft Shell Rock
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05412020
1,510 cfs 7.22 ft · 56°F 726 ft Turkey
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06809500
1,490 cfs 10.19 ft · 65°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05388250
1,350 cfs 8.44 ft · 56°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481950
1,270 cfs 7.61 ft · 60°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482500
1,270 cfs 6.65 ft 37°F 61°F 978 ft North Raccoon
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05471000
1,250 cfs 13.37 ft · 60°F 872 ft South Skunk
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06485500
1,220 cfs 7.08 ft · 63°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05486000
1,180 cfs 13.13 ft · 60°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06809210
1,170 cfs 5.59 ft · 62°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05411850
1,070 cfs 7.04 ft · 56°F 897 ft Turkey
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06819185
1,070 cfs 14.59 ft · 61°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05387500
1,050 cfs 2.87 ft · 56°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06483500
898 cfs 6.36 ft · 62°F 1,238 ft Rock
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05418400
846 cfs 4.82 ft 39°F 56°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05387440
819 cfs 4.61 ft · 56°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05458900
796 cfs 8.19 ft · 57°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05412400
732 cfs 6.45 ft · 57°F 694 ft Turkey
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05489000
726 cfs 7.21 ft · 59°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05476750
709 cfs 4.35 ft · 60°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06607500
701 cfs 7.52 ft · 63°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05483450
667 cfs 12.22 ft · 61°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05464220
662 cfs 4.25 ft · 57°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05471200
659 cfs 5.81 ft · 59°F 827 ft South Skunk
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05470000
626 cfs 4.92 ft · 59°F 928 ft South Skunk
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05463500
619 cfs 8.78 ft · 57°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05483600
608 cfs 5.46 ft 35°F 61°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05416900
575 cfs 5.84 ft · 57°F 920 ft Maquoketa
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06807410
566 cfs 3.52 ft · 62°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05420680
554 cfs 10.06 ft · 57°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05487980
540 cfs 8.56 ft · 60°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481000
539 cfs 3.21 ft 35°F 59°F 1,028 ft Boone
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05470500
497 cfs 3.01 ft · 60°F 907 ft South Skunk
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06606600
494 cfs 5.22 ft · 63°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05452000
465 cfs 8.68 ft · 57°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488200
455 cfs 13.04 ft · 59°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06609500
453 cfs 4.46 ft · 63°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06904010
447 cfs 21.23 ft · 59°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05463000
423 cfs 3.89 ft · 57°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06903900
416 cfs 4.42 ft · 58°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05451210
393 cfs 4.49 ft · 57°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05485640
368 cfs 5.19 ft · 60°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484800
356 cfs 4.99 ft · 61°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05411600
355 cfs 3.32 ft · 56°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05458000
344 cfs 4.69 ft · 56°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05455100
343 cfs 4.72 ft 46°F 58°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05473400
312 cfs 5.18 ft · 58°F 590 ft Skunk
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05459500
308 cfs 5.41 ft · 56°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05453000
307 cfs 12.54 ft · 57°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05479000
293 cfs 8.38 ft · 60°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06605850
282 cfs 5.75 ft · 61°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05485605
255 cfs 3.75 ft · 60°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Floyd River At James, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06600500
250 cfs 8.64 ft · 63°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05389000
231 cfs 6.27 ft · 56°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05454300
218 cfs 2.86 ft · 58°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482300
203 cfs 7.66 ft 75°F 61°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06607200
183 cfs 4.71 ft · 65°F 1,114 ft Maple
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06605000
182 cfs 3.07 ft · 61°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06483290
164 cfs 7.64 ft · 62°F 1,316 ft Rock
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05451700
163 cfs 3.96 ft · 57°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06608500
158 cfs 3.19 ft · 66°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05454220
151 cfs 4.08 ft · 58°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06602400
141 cfs 4.76 ft · 63°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903700
132 cfs 4.23 ft · 59°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05452200
128 cfs 3.02 ft · 57°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06600100
121 cfs 6.07 ft · 62°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05451900
107 cfs 11.90 ft · 57°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05454000
71 cfs 4.70 ft · 58°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05449500
61 cfs 3.71 ft · 60°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903400
45 cfs 5.68 ft · 59°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05473450
30 cfs 3.77 ft · 57°F 672 ft Skunk
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05389400
23 cfs 4.11 ft · 56°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of September 27, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 526% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 46,800 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of September 27, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 46,800 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.

Are Iowa rivers high or low right now?

Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means Iowa rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.

Where does the Iowa streamflow data come from?

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.

What is cfs?

Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.

What does Gauge Height mean?

The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").

How fresh is the Iowa data?

USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.

Can I get a flow alert for a Iowa gauge?

Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.

Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?

No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.