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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Oct 7, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 694% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 40,400 cfs on the Iowa River At Wapello. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
116
State percent normal
694%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Oct 7
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Flow briefing · Oct 7, 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 694% of normal, with the Iowa River At Wapello reporting the highest discharge in the state at 40,400 cfs and a gauge stage of 21.69 ft.

Meanwhile, the Chariton River Near Rathbun is seeing a spike today — up 168% 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 Report

Multiple Flood Warnings remain in effect across eastern Iowa through October 13, with minor to moderate flooding occurring along the Cedar River near Conesville (affecting Muscatine and Louisa Counties), Iowa River at multiple locations including Marengo (Iowa and Benton Counties), Wapello, and Oakville (Louisa County), and the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt (Clinton and Scott Counties). The most serious threat involves the Wapsipinicon River, which is forecast to crest at 12.7 feet early Thursday afternoon, producing major flooding that will impact U.S. Highway 61. Agricultural lands are already flooded along the Iowa and Cedar Rivers, with water covering islands and secondary roads in Wapello Bottoms. Residents near affected river communities should avoid flooded areas and monitor river stages closely, as conditions are expected to gradually improve by late Friday through Monday.

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 694%
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 Oct 2023. The dotted line is normal.

694% of normal today
+650pts vs this day last year (44%)
263of 366 days below normal, past year
1110% 3-year peak · Oct 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Oct 2023 202420252026 Oct 7, 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%: 53 readings above that — including the 1110% peak in Oct 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
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05465500
39,300 cfs 21.50 ft 49°F 59°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05420500
29,800 cfs 10.24 ft 64°F 54°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05465000
28,100 cfs 13.91 ft · 59°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05490500
26,100 cfs 17.27 ft 66°F 60°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05489500
25,600 cfs 9.00 ft 67°F 61°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05488500
25,100 cfs 9.94 ft · 60°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05488110
24,800 cfs 93.89 ft 65°F 60°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05464500
22,300 cfs 9.98 ft 62°F 55°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05474000
17,500 cfs 13.38 ft · 59°F 553 ft Skunk
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05485500
17,300 cfs 19.03 ft · 60°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05455700
10,700 cfs 12.76 ft · 56°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05484900
10,100 cfs 9.60 ft · 60°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05484650
9,590 cfs 27.71 ft · 57°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05464000
9,070 cfs 8.11 ft · 55°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05454500
8,980 cfs 17.90 ft · 56°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05471500
8,840 cfs 20.29 ft · 60°F 692 ft South Skunk
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05453520
8,750 cfs 55.10 ft · 56°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05452500
8,600 cfs 16.40 ft · 55°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05453100
8,380 cfs 15.73 ft · 55°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05482000
8,280 cfs 17.69 ft 32°F 60°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05422000
8,220 cfs 12.14 ft · 55°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05484500
7,850 cfs 9.07 ft 32°F 59°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05421740
7,680 cfs 13.57 ft · 54°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05463050
7,600 cfs 78.70 ft · 54°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05481650
6,940 cfs 7.90 ft · 57°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06810000
5,350 cfs 15.41 ft · 81°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05481300
4,490 cfs 8.46 ft · 57°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05421000
4,350 cfs 8.05 ft · 53°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05412500
3,600 cfs 10.06 ft 60°F 55°F 646 ft Turkey
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05451500
3,460 cfs 14.30 ft · 58°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05471050
3,360 cfs 13.66 ft · 59°F 793 ft South Skunk
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05418500
2,970 cfs 13.98 ft · 54°F 646 ft Maquoketa
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06808500
2,660 cfs 11.47 ft 62°F 81°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
1 day ago · USGS 05482500
2,480 cfs 7.88 ft 37°F 57°F 978 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458500
2,320 cfs 3.06 ft · 53°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458300
2,020 cfs 4.08 ft 61°F 53°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05484000
2,000 cfs 5.47 ft 32°F 59°F 917 ft South Raccoon
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05480500
1,860 cfs 4.89 ft · 53°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05471000
1,840 cfs 14.77 ft · 55°F 872 ft South Skunk
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,720 cfs 8.95 ft · 53°F 882 ft Shell Rock
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05472500
1,710 cfs 10.12 ft · 56°F 664 ft North Skunk
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458900
1,670 cfs 10.07 ft · 54°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05412020
1,610 cfs 7.32 ft · 54°F 726 ft Turkey
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05481950
1,570 cfs 8.41 ft · 59°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06807410
1,240 cfs 5.06 ft · 78°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
English River At Kalona, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05455500
1,200 cfs 7.96 ft · 56°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06485500
1,170 cfs 6.26 ft · 78°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06607500
1,160 cfs 8.25 ft · 78°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05463000
1,140 cfs 6.49 ft · 57°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05473400
1,130 cfs 8.39 ft · 56°F 590 ft Skunk
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06809500
1,130 cfs 9.51 ft · 80°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06904010
1,130 cfs 24.11 ft · 80°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06903900
1,110 cfs 7.22 ft · 79°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,080 cfs 3.62 ft · 53°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05470000
1,070 cfs 6.33 ft · 55°F 928 ft South Skunk
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05411850
1,050 cfs 7.01 ft · 53°F 897 ft Turkey
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05463500
1,010 cfs 10.62 ft · 54°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06898000
932 cfs 2.90 ft · 80°F 910 ft Thompson
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05483450
930 cfs 13.15 ft · 58°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05388250
914 cfs 7.91 ft · 53°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05486490
895 cfs 10.28 ft · 60°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06809210
883 cfs 5.06 ft · 78°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05412400
828 cfs 6.69 ft · 55°F 694 ft Turkey
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05483600
814 cfs 5.74 ft 35°F 58°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05464220
796 cfs 4.59 ft · 54°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05481000
773 cfs 3.65 ft 35°F 55°F 1,028 ft Boone
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05470500
741 cfs 3.32 ft · 55°F 907 ft South Skunk
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06606600
722 cfs 5.62 ft · 77°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05451210
708 cfs 5.97 ft · 54°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05486000
702 cfs 10.65 ft · 60°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05476750
691 cfs 4.32 ft · 55°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05418400
686 cfs 4.34 ft 39°F 54°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06483500
676 cfs 5.72 ft · 76°F 1,238 ft Rock
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05471200
663 cfs 5.92 ft · 59°F 827 ft South Skunk
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05387500
625 cfs 2.40 ft · 53°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06609500
616 cfs 4.96 ft · 78°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05416900
587 cfs 5.88 ft · 53°F 920 ft Maquoketa
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05420680
495 cfs 9.79 ft · 53°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05479000
467 cfs 8.77 ft · 55°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05452000
432 cfs 8.48 ft · 59°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05387440
426 cfs 3.91 ft · 53°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06605850
401 cfs 6.32 ft · 77°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05453000
385 cfs 12.92 ft · 55°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05389000
379 cfs 6.73 ft · 54°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05482300
360 cfs 8.32 ft 75°F 57°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05487470
359 cfs 6.91 ft · 60°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05455100
342 cfs 4.58 ft 46°F 56°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05411600
307 cfs 3.14 ft · 53°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06607200
272 cfs 5.06 ft · 77°F 1,114 ft Maple
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05459500
256 cfs 5.22 ft · 51°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05458000
240 cfs 4.34 ft · 53°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05489000
234 cfs 5.74 ft · 61°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
12 hours ago · USGS 05485640
227 cfs 4.51 ft · 57°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Floyd River At James, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06600500
225 cfs 8.54 ft · 78°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05454300
209 cfs 2.67 ft · 56°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06608500
177 cfs 3.27 ft · 78°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05451700
176 cfs 4.16 ft · 58°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05487980
175 cfs 7.07 ft · 61°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06817000
169 cfs 11.77 ft · 80°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05484800
165 cfs 4.21 ft · 60°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06605000
152 cfs 2.89 ft · 76°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05454220
135 cfs 3.84 ft · 56°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05485605
135 cfs 2.91 ft · 59°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06602400
130 cfs 4.73 ft · 79°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06483290
128 cfs 7.46 ft · 76°F 1,316 ft Rock
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05452200
123 cfs 2.96 ft · 59°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05449500
116 cfs 4.18 ft · 51°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05451900
111 cfs 11.95 ft · 59°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06600100
87 cfs 5.91 ft · 76°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05473450
78 cfs 4.32 ft · 55°F 672 ft Skunk
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05454000
65 cfs 4.62 ft · 56°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05488200
62 cfs 9.42 ft · 61°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06819185
58 cfs 11.26 ft · 81°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06903400
44 cfs 5.65 ft · 78°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
11 hours ago · USGS 06903700
43 cfs 3.49 ft · 79°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
13 hours ago · USGS 05389400
31 cfs 4.21 ft · 54°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of October 7, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 694% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Iowa River At Wapello is reporting the highest discharge at 40,400 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of October 7, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 40,400 cfs on the Iowa River At Wapello. 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.