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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Oct 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 1074% of normal across 116 USGS gauges — the highest is 49,600 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
1074%
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Oct 3
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Flow briefing · Oct 3, 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 1074% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 49,600 cfs and a gauge stage of 10.25 ft.

Meanwhile, the Volga River At Littleport is seeing a spike today — up 610% 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 ISSUED ACROSS IOWA** – Significant flooding is occurring across numerous Iowa waterways as of October 3rd. Major flooding continues on the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt, affecting Clinton and Scott counties, with water impacting many residences. Moderate flooding is reported on Black Hawk Creek at Hudson in Waterloo, with potential residential evacuations. Minor to moderate flooding affects multiple rivers including the Iowa River at Marshalltown, Des Moines River in Des Moines, South Skunk River near Ames and Colfax, Raccoon River near Des Moines, and Cedar River near Conesville. Communities in Perry, Colfax, and Reasnor face potential evacuations. The Iowa River near Lone Tree and English River at Kalona are also affected. Most warnings remain in effect through October 4th-8th. Residents should avoid flooded areas and monitor NWS updates for rising water conditions.

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 1074%
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.

1074% of normal today
+1015pts vs this day last year (59%)
267of 366 days below normal, past year
1074% 3-year peak · Oct 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Sep 2023 202420252026 Oct 3, 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%: 49 readings above that — including the 1074% 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
10 hours ago · USGS 05420500
60,100 cfs 10.47 ft 66°F 42°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05465500
45,700 cfs 22.54 ft 49°F 45°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05485500
30,800 cfs 24.16 ft · 49°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05465000
25,500 cfs 13.55 ft · 45°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05474000
25,100 cfs 16.95 ft · 45°F 553 ft Skunk
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05488500
21,800 cfs 8.87 ft · 49°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05464000
21,000 cfs 11.16 ft · 44°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
9 hours ago · USGS 05489500
20,900 cfs 7.67 ft 66°F 48°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05488110
20,900 cfs 92.70 ft 67°F 49°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05484900
20,100 cfs 14.50 ft · 50°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05490500
19,100 cfs 15.69 ft 65°F 45°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05455700
19,000 cfs 16.74 ft · 45°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05484650
18,600 cfs 33.31 ft · 49°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05464500
18,500 cfs 8.91 ft 62°F 45°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05484500
16,800 cfs 14.09 ft 32°F 48°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06810000
16,500 cfs 23.62 ft · 71°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05482000
14,900 cfs 20.20 ft 32°F 50°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05463050
14,700 cfs 78.70 ft · 47°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05481650
13,700 cfs 11.96 ft · 49°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05451500
11,600 cfs 18.94 ft · 48°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05422000
11,300 cfs 12.87 ft · 43°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05454500
10,100 cfs 18.88 ft · 45°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05481300
10,000 cfs 11.88 ft · 48°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05453520
9,520 cfs 55.53 ft · 45°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05412500
9,150 cfs 14.29 ft 61°F 46°F 646 ft Turkey
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05471500
8,810 cfs 20.26 ft · 48°F 692 ft South Skunk
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05471000
8,510 cfs 22.13 ft · 48°F 872 ft South Skunk
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05453100
7,980 cfs 15.50 ft · 44°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06898000
7,970 cfs 8.79 ft · 70°F 910 ft Thompson
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05463500
7,260 cfs 16.82 ft · 44°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05452500
7,100 cfs 15.17 ft · 47°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05421000
6,980 cfs 9.72 ft · 44°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
English River At Kalona, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05455500
6,520 cfs 17.07 ft · 45°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05484000
6,160 cfs 9.31 ft 32°F 48°F 917 ft South Raccoon
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05482500
6,030 cfs 10.98 ft 37°F 44°F 978 ft North Raccoon
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05473400
5,750 cfs 17.18 ft · 45°F 590 ft Skunk
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05471050
5,660 cfs 16.75 ft · 48°F 793 ft South Skunk
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05470000
5,580 cfs 12.65 ft · 44°F 928 ft South Skunk
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05472500
5,530 cfs 18.23 ft · 45°F 664 ft North Skunk
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05458500
4,950 cfs 4.97 ft · 47°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06808500
4,950 cfs 14.13 ft 62°F 71°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05418500
4,660 cfs 15.79 ft · 43°F 646 ft Maquoketa
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05421740
4,500 cfs 10.57 ft · 44°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05463000
4,040 cfs 10.62 ft · 47°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05458300
4,040 cfs 4.04 ft 60°F 47°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05412020
3,680 cfs 9.06 ft · 46°F 726 ft Turkey
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05458900
3,650 cfs 12.10 ft · 47°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05480500
3,340 cfs 5.68 ft · 48°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05486000
3,100 cfs 18.83 ft · 49°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06809500
3,020 cfs 12.33 ft · 70°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05486490
2,890 cfs 14.38 ft · 49°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05483450
2,710 cfs 17.61 ft · 49°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05462000
2,700 cfs 9.55 ft · 47°F 882 ft Shell Rock
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05483600
2,660 cfs 7.72 ft 35°F 48°F 997 ft South Raccoon
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06807410
2,610 cfs 7.20 ft · 69°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
9 hours ago · USGS 05411850
2,530 cfs 8.72 ft · 46°F 897 ft Turkey
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
9 hours ago · USGS 05412400
2,470 cfs 9.71 ft · 46°F 694 ft Turkey
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05481950
2,420 cfs 10.48 ft · 49°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05451210
2,400 cfs 10.08 ft · 48°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05464220
2,380 cfs 7.95 ft · 47°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05470500
2,300 cfs 5.94 ft · 44°F 907 ft South Skunk
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05481000
2,200 cfs 5.64 ft 35°F 48°F 1,028 ft Boone
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05471200
2,160 cfs 9.26 ft · 48°F 827 ft South Skunk
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
9 hours ago · USGS 05420680
2,140 cfs 13.01 ft · 44°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05416900
2,100 cfs 9.78 ft · 46°F 920 ft Maquoketa
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06809210
1,880 cfs 6.82 ft · 69°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05487470
1,820 cfs 10.70 ft · 49°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05457700
1,600 cfs 4.26 ft · 43°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06817000
1,460 cfs 13.03 ft · 71°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903400
1,430 cfs 14.33 ft · 69°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06607500
1,370 cfs 8.51 ft · 70°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05455100
1,320 cfs 9.49 ft 46°F 48°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05388250
1,230 cfs 8.30 ft · 46°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05487980
1,170 cfs 10.36 ft · 45°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05489000
1,150 cfs 8.21 ft · 49°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 06485500
1,140 cfs 6.89 ft · 49°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05476750
1,050 cfs 4.89 ft · 49°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
9 hours ago · USGS 06609500
1,050 cfs 6.07 ft · 70°F 1,014 ft Boyer
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05418400
999 cfs 5.24 ft 39°F 44°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05453000
963 cfs 15.23 ft · 47°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06606600
877 cfs 5.89 ft · 68°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06904010
872 cfs 23.06 ft · 69°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05387500
839 cfs 2.65 ft · 48°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05482300
827 cfs 9.89 ft 75°F 49°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05473450
818 cfs 7.82 ft · 44°F 672 ft Skunk
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06483500
812 cfs 6.12 ft · 72°F 1,238 ft Rock
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05389000
753 cfs 7.50 ft · 46°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05452000
752 cfs 10.22 ft · 47°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05479000
568 cfs 8.99 ft · 49°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05454300
554 cfs 4.79 ft · 45°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06605850
550 cfs 6.92 ft · 69°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05387440
540 cfs 4.13 ft · 47°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05411600
460 cfs 3.68 ft · 44°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05485640
436 cfs 5.30 ft · 49°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05451700
418 cfs 6.16 ft · 43°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06903900
418 cfs 4.43 ft · 69°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06607200
385 cfs 5.45 ft · 70°F 1,114 ft Maple
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05458000
363 cfs 4.75 ft · 47°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05484800
345 cfs 4.93 ft · 49°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05459500
311 cfs 5.42 ft · 47°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05452200
301 cfs 4.56 ft · 47°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05485605
299 cfs 4.03 ft · 48°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05454220
291 cfs 5.82 ft · 45°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06608500
279 cfs 3.69 ft · 70°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
Floyd River At James, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06600500
277 cfs 8.74 ft · 71°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06602400
266 cfs 5.12 ft · 70°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05488200
257 cfs 11.54 ft · 49°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05451900
206 cfs 12.98 ft · 47°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06903700
204 cfs 4.76 ft · 69°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05449500
195 cfs 4.76 ft · 48°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06605000
193 cfs 3.13 ft · 69°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06819185
191 cfs 12.03 ft · 70°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06483290
182 cfs 7.72 ft · 71°F 1,316 ft Rock
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
8 hours ago · USGS 06600100
125 cfs 6.09 ft · 70°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05454000
111 cfs 5.24 ft · 45°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
10 hours ago · USGS 05389400
58 cfs 4.48 ft · 43°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of October 3, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 1074% of normal across 116 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 49,600 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of October 3, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 49,600 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.