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Flow report

Iowa River Levels & Streamflow

As of Sep 22, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 687% of normal across 117 USGS gauges — the highest is 73,600 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.

USGS gauges
117
State percent normal
687%
Paddle runs
0
Updated
Sep 22
Open the Iowa flow layer on the map Every USGS streamgauge filtered to Iowa.
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September
22
2026
Flow briefing

Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 687% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 73,600 cfs and a gauge stage of 11.91 ft.

Meanwhile, the Chariton River Near Chariton is seeing a spike today — up 1684% 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.

Active weather warnings for Iowa

# Iowa Storm Center Report

Multiple flood warnings remain in effect across Iowa through September 26 due to heavy rainfall. The English River at Kalona (Johnson and Washington Counties) is experiencing moderate flooding with water overflowing county roads including 13th St and Kiwi Ave until Wednesday afternoon. The Iowa River system is severely impacted, with the Wapsipinicon River near De Witt (Clinton and Scott Counties) experiencing major flooding affecting residences until further notice. Minor to moderate flooding also continues on the Cedar River near Conesville, Iowa River at Wapello and Oakville, Mississippi River at Burlington and Gladstone, and the North Skunk River near Sigourney (Keokuk County). Residents in affected areas should avoid flooded roads, expect agricultural land inundation, and prepare for potential evacuation if necessary. River crests are expected Wednesday through Thursday morning, with conditions improving by Friday.

Source: National Weather Service

Iowa at a glance

State-wide streamflow overview

The Iowa flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.

Percent of normal

687%

100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.

Highest discharge

Mississippi River At Clinton 73,600 cfs

Gauge stage 11.91 ft

Biggest 24h spike

Chariton River Near Chariton +1684%

Now 346 cfs

Network coverage

Gauges + rivers tracked 117 + 0

USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in Iowa.

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 687%
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.

687% of normal today
+623pts vs this day last year (64%)
278of 366 days below normal, past year
687% 3-year peak · Sep 2026 · above the axis
50% 100% normal 150% 200% 250%
Sep 2023 202420252026 Sep 22, 2026

799 daily readings from 117 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%: 38 readings above that — including the 687% 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.

Full streamgauge inventory

Iowa USGS streamgauges

Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in Iowa. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.

117 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow Gage height Water temp Air temp Elevation Watershed
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05420500
82,600 cfs 12.70 ft 67°F 54°F 593 ft Copperas-Duck
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05465500
47,200 cfs 22.77 ft 49°F 56°F 554 ft Lower Iowa
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05465000
34,600 cfs 14.60 ft · 55°F 593 ft Lower Cedar
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05489500
22,800 cfs 8.20 ft 70°F 56°F 635 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488110
22,300 cfs 93.11 ft 70°F 54°F 689 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488500
20,900 cfs 9.18 ft · 54°F 676 ft Lower Des Moines
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05490500
19,900 cfs 15.88 ft 69°F 59°F 579 ft Lower Des Moines
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05464500
17,800 cfs 8.73 ft 62°F 53°F 712 ft Middle Cedar
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05455700
17,600 cfs 16.13 ft · 58°F 601 ft Lower Iowa
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05474000
15,200 cfs 12.11 ft · 56°F 553 ft Skunk
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05422000
12,100 cfs 12.99 ft · 54°F 646 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05418500
11,700 cfs 21.19 ft · 52°F 646 ft Maquoketa
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05454500
10,000 cfs 18.77 ft · 54°F 643 ft Lower Iowa
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05453520
9,660 cfs 55.61 ft · 54°F 669 ft Middle Iowa
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05464000
9,620 cfs 8.26 ft · 51°F 823 ft Middle Cedar
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05485500
8,520 cfs 14.84 ft · 56°F 779 ft Lake Red Rock
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05412500
8,460 cfs 13.86 ft 62°F 52°F 646 ft Turkey
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05463050
8,220 cfs 78.70 ft · 51°F 853 ft Middle Cedar
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05458300
8,200 cfs 5.58 ft 61°F 50°F 895 ft Upper Cedar
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05453100
7,030 cfs 14.66 ft · 52°F 729 ft Middle Iowa
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05457700
6,590 cfs 9.41 ft · 50°F 977 ft Upper Cedar
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05458500
6,340 cfs 5.85 ft · 51°F 859 ft Upper Cedar
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05452500
6,220 cfs 14.39 ft · 51°F 748 ft Middle Iowa
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05421740
6,200 cfs 12.27 ft · 52°F 779 ft Lower Wapsipinicon
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05471500
5,610 cfs 16.97 ft · 54°F 692 ft South Skunk
English River At Kalona, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05455500
5,460 cfs 15.96 ft · 54°F 655 ft Lower Iowa
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482000
4,520 cfs 16.96 ft 32°F 56°F 808 ft Middle Des Moines
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05472500
4,510 cfs 16.62 ft · 57°F 664 ft North Skunk
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05481650
4,440 cfs 6.22 ft · 53°F 819 ft Middle Des Moines
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05421000
4,370 cfs 8.06 ft · 51°F 889 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05484900
4,250 cfs 5.73 ft · 56°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05412020
4,120 cfs 9.37 ft · 51°F 726 ft Turkey
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05484650
3,930 cfs 23.81 ft · 54°F 797 ft North Raccoon
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05388250
3,890 cfs 10.77 ft · 47°F 668 ft Upper Iowa
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05411850
3,850 cfs 9.92 ft · 48°F 897 ft Turkey
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05484500
3,560 cfs 6.03 ft 32°F 54°F 862 ft North Raccoon
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06810000
3,360 cfs 13.12 ft · 60°F 904 ft Nishnabotna
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05387500
3,210 cfs 4.52 ft · 47°F 854 ft Upper Iowa
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05481300
2,960 cfs 7.50 ft · 52°F 902 ft Middle Des Moines
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06898000
2,540 cfs 4.52 ft · 60°F 910 ft Thompson
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05387440
2,480 cfs 6.66 ft · 49°F 970 ft Upper Iowa
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05451500
2,260 cfs 12.63 ft · 51°F 853 ft Middle Iowa
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05418400
2,020 cfs 7.44 ft 39°F 52°F 689 ft Maquoketa
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05412400
1,860 cfs 8.79 ft · 52°F 694 ft Turkey
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05471050
1,860 cfs 11.40 ft · 53°F 793 ft South Skunk
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05462000
1,770 cfs 8.98 ft · 50°F 882 ft Shell Rock
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05486490
1,660 cfs 12.20 ft · 57°F 794 ft Lake Red Rock
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05471000
1,450 cfs 13.74 ft · 55°F 872 ft South Skunk
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05416900
1,420 cfs 8.24 ft · 50°F 920 ft Maquoketa
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05486000
1,410 cfs 14.00 ft · 54°F 811 ft Lake Red Rock
Raccoon River Near West Des Moines, Ia
7 days ago · USGS 05484600
1,320 cfs 30.07 ft · 54°F 844 ft North Raccoon
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05464220
1,260 cfs 5.60 ft · 54°F 835 ft Middle Cedar
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05420680
1,240 cfs 12.01 ft · 50°F 1,019 ft Upper Wapsipinicon
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05452000
1,190 cfs 12.21 ft · 51°F 802 ft Middle Iowa
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05480500
1,170 cfs 4.72 ft · 52°F 974 ft Middle Des Moines
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05458000
1,150 cfs 6.62 ft · 48°F 1,000 ft Upper Cedar
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06817000
1,150 cfs 11.75 ft · 60°F 966 ft West Nodaway
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05473400
1,120 cfs 8.35 ft · 58°F 590 ft Skunk
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05487470
1,100 cfs 9.16 ft · 57°F 805 ft Lake Red Rock
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05484000
1,080 cfs 4.22 ft 32°F 54°F 917 ft South Raccoon
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482500
981 cfs 6.30 ft 37°F 53°F 978 ft North Raccoon
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06809500
953 cfs 9.14 ft · 59°F 1,013 ft East Nishnabotna
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05458900
952 cfs 8.57 ft · 51°F 859 ft West Fork Cedar
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05463500
933 cfs 10.53 ft · 51°F 897 ft Middle Cedar
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05470000
890 cfs 5.54 ft · 52°F 928 ft South Skunk
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06808500
881 cfs 9.41 ft 65°F 59°F 956 ft West Nishnabotna
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05411600
877 cfs 4.89 ft · 48°F 1,067 ft Turkey
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05455100
750 cfs 7.07 ft 46°F 54°F 654 ft Lower Iowa
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06485500
740 cfs 5.84 ft · 53°F 1,151 ft Lower Big Sioux
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05481950
730 cfs 6.00 ft · 56°F 829 ft Middle Des Moines
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05481000
717 cfs 3.53 ft 35°F 54°F 1,028 ft Boone
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06809210
681 cfs 4.65 ft · 58°F 1,109 ft East Nishnabotna
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06483500
599 cfs 6.07 ft · 52°F 1,238 ft Rock
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05476750
586 cfs 4.11 ft · 54°F 1,066 ft Upper Des Moines
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05487980
576 cfs 8.68 ft · 54°F 773 ft Lake Red Rock
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06607500
570 cfs 7.26 ft · 57°F 1,029 ft Little Sioux
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05471200
560 cfs 5.53 ft · 53°F 827 ft South Skunk
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05454300
533 cfs 4.70 ft · 54°F 660 ft Lower Iowa
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05470500
493 cfs 3.00 ft · 55°F 907 ft South Skunk
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05463000
487 cfs 4.18 ft · 51°F 890 ft Middle Cedar
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05451210
480 cfs 4.87 ft · 53°F 963 ft Upper Iowa
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05389000
454 cfs 6.92 ft · 48°F 681 ft Coon-Yellow
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05453000
433 cfs 13.14 ft · 56°F 771 ft Middle Iowa
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05489000
402 cfs 6.31 ft · 54°F 696 ft Lower Des Moines
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06807410
400 cfs 2.99 ft · 58°F 1,089 ft West Nishnabotna
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05459500
388 cfs 5.67 ft · 51°F 1,101 ft Winnebago
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05485640
376 cfs 5.22 ft · 56°F 813 ft Lake Red Rock
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06609500
353 cfs 4.12 ft · 57°F 1,014 ft Boyer
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06903400
352 cfs 9.86 ft · 57°F 968 ft Upper Chariton
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05484800
350 cfs 4.97 ft · 56°F 808 ft North Raccoon
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06606600
348 cfs 4.96 ft · 53°F 1,106 ft Little Sioux
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05454220
304 cfs 5.96 ft · 56°F 722 ft Lower Iowa
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05452200
277 cfs 4.38 ft · 52°F 806 ft Middle Iowa
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05479000
246 cfs 8.17 ft · 54°F 1,043 ft East Fork Des Moines
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05485605
232 cfs 3.59 ft · 53°F 911 ft Lake Red Rock
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05488200
232 cfs 11.32 ft · 54°F 749 ft Lower Des Moines
Floyd River At James, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06600500
225 cfs 8.54 ft · 53°F 1,117 ft Floyd
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05451700
196 cfs 4.30 ft · 51°F 862 ft Middle Iowa
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06605850
187 cfs 5.34 ft · 52°F 1,249 ft Little Sioux
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06607200
176 cfs 4.68 ft · 56°F 1,114 ft Maple
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05483600
167 cfs 4.59 ft 35°F 56°F 997 ft South Raccoon
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05451900
162 cfs 12.53 ft · 51°F 817 ft Middle Iowa
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05482300
157 cfs 7.43 ft 75°F 55°F 1,179 ft North Raccoon
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 05483450
148 cfs 9.85 ft · 53°F 1,054 ft South Raccoon
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06608500
110 cfs 2.97 ft · 56°F 1,047 ft Blackbird-Soldier
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06819185
102 cfs 11.55 ft · 57°F 1,084 ft One Hundred And Two
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06602400
94 cfs 4.62 ft · 57°F 1,021 ft Monona-Harrison Ditch
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06600100
93 cfs 5.94 ft · 53°F 1,289 ft Floyd
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06483290
93 cfs 7.34 ft · 52°F 1,316 ft Rock
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06605000
92 cfs 2.36 ft · 51°F 1,317 ft Little Sioux
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05454000
85 cfs 5.29 ft · 54°F 688 ft Lower Iowa
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05473450
84 cfs 4.38 ft · 55°F 672 ft Skunk
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05449500
66 cfs 3.75 ft · 53°F 1,187 ft Upper Iowa
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06903700
50 cfs 3.54 ft · 58°F 922 ft Upper Chariton
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
14 hours ago · USGS 06904010
48 cfs 18.61 ft · 59°F 847 ft Upper Chariton
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 05389400
34 cfs 4.24 ft · 49°F 634 ft Coon-Yellow
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
15 hours ago · USGS 06903900
15 cfs 2.26 ft · 58°F 855 ft Upper Chariton
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Flow report FAQ

About Iowa streamflow

What are river levels like in Iowa right now?

As of September 22, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 687% of normal across 117 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 73,600 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.

Which Iowa river is running highest right now?

As of September 22, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 73,600 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.