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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Oct 2, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 768% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 48,300 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
768%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Oct 2
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Flow briefing · Oct 2, 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 768% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 48,300 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.75 ft.

Meanwhile, the South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City is seeing a spike today — up 3081% 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 Storm Center Report

**URGENT: Multiple Flood Warnings Active Across Iowa** — Excessive rainfall has triggered widespread flooding across Iowa with multiple rivers at or approaching flood stage. The Des Moines River at Des Moines is forecast to crest at 25.8 feet tomorrow morning, potentially affecting areas from downtown Des Moines to Runnells. The Black Hawk Creek at Hudson is expected to reach moderate flood levels of 16.5 feet, with possible residential evacuations in Waterloo and closure of Ranchero Road. Additional flooding is occurring in central Iowa counties including Grundy, Black Hawk, Tama, and Butler, with major impacts to Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Grundy Center, and I-380 between mile markers 65-73 remains affected. The Raccoon River at Des Moines is forecast to crest at 15.9 feet by tomorrow afternoon, affecting Grays Lake trails and approaching Fleur Drive. Multiple rivers including the South Skunk River near Ames and North Raccoon River near Perry are also under flood warnings. Avoid flooded roads and low-water crossings; conditions are expected to improve by late Sunday 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 768%
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.

768% of normal today
+715pts vs this day last year (53%)
268of 366 days below normal, past year
768% 3-year peak · Oct 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Sep 2023 202420252026 Oct 2, 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%: 48 readings above that — including the 768% 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
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05420500
49,600 cfs 10.25 ft 66°F 50°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05465500
42,200 cfs 21.98 ft 49°F 50°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05490500
24,400 cfs 16.90 ft 66°F 51°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05474000
24,300 cfs 16.52 ft · 52°F 553 ft Skunk
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05465000
23,800 cfs 13.29 ft · 50°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05489500
23,000 cfs 8.27 ft 67°F 50°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05485500
22,700 cfs 21.34 ft · 48°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05455700
17,200 cfs 15.94 ft · 50°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484500
16,700 cfs 14.04 ft 32°F 47°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05464000
16,400 cfs 10.03 ft · 46°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05484650
14,400 cfs 30.73 ft · 48°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05484900
14,100 cfs 12.20 ft · 48°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05463050
14,000 cfs 78.70 ft · 45°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05412500
13,900 cfs 16.84 ft 62°F 47°F 646 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05464500
13,700 cfs 7.49 ft 62°F 49°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488500
12,900 cfs 6.49 ft · 48°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481300
11,800 cfs 12.82 ft · 45°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06810000
11,100 cfs 20.33 ft · 48°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481650
11,000 cfs 10.35 ft · 47°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488110
11,000 cfs 89.34 ft 67°F 48°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05484000
10,500 cfs 12.12 ft 32°F 47°F 917 ft South Raccoon
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05454500
10,400 cfs 19.09 ft · 50°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482000
10,100 cfs 19.34 ft 32°F 48°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05471000
10,000 cfs 22.84 ft · 46°F 872 ft South Skunk
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06898000
9,480 cfs 9.83 ft · 52°F 910 ft Thompson
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05422000
8,960 cfs 12.37 ft · 49°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05451500
8,680 cfs 17.72 ft · 45°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05471500
8,650 cfs 20.10 ft · 48°F 692 ft South Skunk
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05453520
8,610 cfs 55.02 ft · 50°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05453100
8,520 cfs 15.81 ft · 48°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06808500
8,290 cfs 17.70 ft 64°F 48°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06809500
8,050 cfs 16.69 ft · 64°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482500
7,810 cfs 12.33 ft 37°F 45°F 978 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05458500
7,030 cfs 6.27 ft · 45°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
English River At Kalona, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05455500
6,860 cfs 17.39 ft · 50°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05412020
6,560 cfs 10.94 ft · 46°F 726 ft Turkey
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05472500
6,150 cfs 18.99 ft · 49°F 664 ft North Skunk
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05421000
6,090 cfs 9.16 ft · 46°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05452500
6,070 cfs 14.25 ft · 48°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06817000
5,940 cfs 15.85 ft · 65°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05411850
5,890 cfs 11.50 ft · 45°F 897 ft Turkey
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05473400
5,850 cfs 17.31 ft · 50°F 590 ft Skunk
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05486490
5,800 cfs 18.80 ft · 48°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05470000
5,670 cfs 12.77 ft · 46°F 928 ft South Skunk
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05470500
5,480 cfs 10.49 ft · 46°F 907 ft South Skunk
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05458300
5,430 cfs 4.43 ft 63°F 45°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05483450
5,370 cfs 20.43 ft · 46°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05487470
5,270 cfs 15.47 ft · 48°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05471050
4,800 cfs 15.66 ft · 47°F 793 ft South Skunk
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05487980
4,530 cfs 16.38 ft · 48°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05418500
4,510 cfs 15.64 ft · 49°F 646 ft Maquoketa
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06807410
4,470 cfs 9.30 ft · 63°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05412400
4,270 cfs 11.81 ft · 46°F 694 ft Turkey
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05483600
4,060 cfs 8.96 ft 35°F 46°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05463500
3,750 cfs 15.47 ft · 45°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05480500
3,740 cfs 5.86 ft · 44°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05489000
3,600 cfs 12.91 ft · 48°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05421740
3,380 cfs 9.30 ft · 48°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05462000
3,220 cfs 9.82 ft · 45°F 882 ft Shell Rock
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06809210
3,200 cfs 8.85 ft · 64°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05458900
3,150 cfs 11.73 ft · 45°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05486000
2,860 cfs 18.22 ft · 48°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481000
2,840 cfs 6.34 ft 35°F 45°F 1,028 ft Boone
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05451210
2,780 cfs 10.70 ft · 45°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05464220
2,360 cfs 7.92 ft · 49°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05455100
2,320 cfs 13.33 ft 46°F 50°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05471200
2,310 cfs 9.54 ft · 47°F 827 ft South Skunk
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05463000
2,200 cfs 9.09 ft · 45°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05481950
2,010 cfs 9.47 ft · 47°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05416900
1,980 cfs 9.53 ft · 46°F 920 ft Maquoketa
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05453000
1,840 cfs 17.98 ft · 48°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,820 cfs 4.57 ft · 47°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05473450
1,720 cfs 10.42 ft · 50°F 672 ft Skunk
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05420680
1,520 cfs 12.35 ft · 44°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05454300
1,510 cfs 8.42 ft · 50°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05388250
1,490 cfs 8.59 ft · 45°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903400
1,450 cfs 14.38 ft · 49°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06904010
1,380 cfs 25.02 ft · 50°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06607500
1,300 cfs 8.43 ft · 63°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05389000
1,290 cfs 8.24 ft · 49°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06485500
1,260 cfs 7.18 ft · 42°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06609500
1,170 cfs 6.37 ft · 63°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05476750
1,120 cfs 4.99 ft · 44°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05418400
1,110 cfs 5.52 ft 39°F 49°F 689 ft Maquoketa
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05488200
1,110 cfs 16.64 ft · 48°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05452000
1,090 cfs 11.81 ft · 47°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903700
937 cfs 8.44 ft · 49°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05387500
932 cfs 2.75 ft · 44°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06606600
905 cfs 5.94 ft · 64°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05482300
898 cfs 10.09 ft 75°F 44°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06483500
854 cfs 6.24 ft · 40°F 1,238 ft Rock
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05454220
728 cfs 9.84 ft · 50°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05485640
696 cfs 6.27 ft · 48°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05479000
617 cfs 9.09 ft · 44°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05387440
582 cfs 4.21 ft · 44°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05484800
574 cfs 5.78 ft · 48°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06605850
537 cfs 6.87 ft · 64°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05451700
515 cfs 6.85 ft · 46°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05452200
509 cfs 5.90 ft · 49°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05411600
504 cfs 3.82 ft · 45°F 1,067 ft Turkey
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06819185
498 cfs 13.16 ft · 64°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05485605
453 cfs 4.98 ft · 47°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903900
443 cfs 4.54 ft · 49°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05458000
430 cfs 4.95 ft · 44°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06602400
401 cfs 5.59 ft · 63°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06608500
390 cfs 4.12 ft · 63°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05459500
323 cfs 5.46 ft · 43°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06607200
311 cfs 5.20 ft · 62°F 1,114 ft Maple
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05451900
309 cfs 13.91 ft · 49°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
Floyd River At James, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06600500
302 cfs 8.83 ft · 65°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 05454000
226 cfs 6.41 ft · 50°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06605000
208 cfs 3.22 ft · 64°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05449500
201 cfs 4.80 ft · 44°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06483290
194 cfs 7.77 ft · 39°F 1,316 ft Rock
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
5 hours ago · USGS 06600100
146 cfs 6.18 ft · 64°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05389400
109 cfs 4.84 ft · 46°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of October 2, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 768% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 48,300 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of October 2, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 48,300 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.