Iowa River Levels & Streamflow
As of Sep 14, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 169% of normal across 117 USGS gauges — the highest is 32,000 cfs on the Mississippi River At Clinton. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in Iowa.
Streamflow levels across Iowa are currently 169% of normal, with the Mississippi River At Clinton reporting the highest discharge in the state at 32,000 cfs and a gauge stage of 9.03 ft.
Meanwhile, the Raccoon River Near West Des Moines is seeing a spike today — up 238% 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
A Flood Watch has been issued for portions of southwestern, central, and northeastern Iowa through Tuesday morning, September 15 at 7:00 AM CDT. Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected today through tonight, with some areas experiencing heavy rainfall capable of triggering flash flooding. While rainfall will vary, concentrated pockets of heavier precipitation—especially if multiple rounds affect the same location—pose significant risk to rivers, creeks, streams, and low-lying flood-prone areas. Residents in affected regions should remain alert for rapidly rising water and potential flooding of vulnerable locations. Additional heavy rainfall is anticipated later this week, which may extend or replace this watch, so continued monitoring is essential.
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
100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.
Highest discharge
Gauge stage 9.03 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 1,300 cfs
Network coverage
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.
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.
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%: 32 readings above that — including the 364% peak in Aug 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 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.
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi River At Clinton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05420500 |
30,900 cfs | 9.09 ft | 74°F | 50°F | 593 ft | Copperas-Duck |
|
Des Moines River At Keosauqua, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05490500 |
17,000 cfs | 15.16 ft | 74°F | 57°F | 579 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River At Ottumwa, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05489500 |
12,400 cfs | 5.27 ft | 75°F | 57°F | 635 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River Near Pella, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05488110 |
9,960 cfs | 88.92 ft | 76°F | 57°F | 689 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Des Moines River Near Tracy, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05488500 |
9,830 cfs | 5.87 ft | · | 57°F | 676 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Iowa River At Wapello, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05465500 |
5,140 cfs | 12.65 ft | 49°F | 54°F | 554 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Cedar River Near Conesville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05465000 |
3,520 cfs | 6.63 ft | · | 54°F | 593 ft | Lower Cedar |
|
Des Moines River Blw Raccoon Riv At Des Moines, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05485500 |
3,260 cfs | 11.43 ft | · | 57°F | 779 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Rapids, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05464500 |
2,630 cfs | 4.04 ft | 62°F | 53°F | 712 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Raccoon River At Fleur Drive, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05484900 |
2,380 cfs | 3.61 ft | · | 57°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Skunk River At Augusta, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05474000 |
2,290 cfs | 3.77 ft | · | 56°F | 553 ft | Skunk |
|
Cedar River At Waterloo, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05464000 |
1,900 cfs | 5.91 ft | · | 50°F | 823 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05484650 |
1,870 cfs | 22.01 ft | · | 57°F | 797 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Cedar River At Cedar Falls, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05463050 |
1,640 cfs | 78.70 ft | · | 52°F | 853 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Raccoon River At Van Meter, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05484500 |
1,450 cfs | 4.16 ft | 32°F | 60°F | 862 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Iowa River Near Lone Tree, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05455700 |
1,310 cfs | 5.45 ft | · | 54°F | 601 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Raccoon River Near West Des Moines, Ia
5 days ago · USGS 05484600 |
1,300 cfs | 28.27 ft | · | 57°F | 844 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05482000 |
1,290 cfs | 15.58 ft | 32°F | 57°F | 808 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Nishnabotna River Above Hamburg, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06810000 |
1,250 cfs | 9.73 ft | · | 60°F | 904 ft | Nishnabotna |
|
Des Moines River Near Saylorville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05481650 |
1,200 cfs | 3.33 ft | · | 57°F | 819 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Iowa River Below Coralville Dam Nr Coralville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05453520 |
1,010 cfs | 49.86 ft | · | 53°F | 669 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
South Skunk River Near Oskaloosa, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05471500 |
984 cfs | 9.83 ft | · | 56°F | 692 ft | South Skunk |
|
Iowa River At Iowa City, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05454500 |
977 cfs | 10.43 ft | · | 54°F | 643 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near De Witt, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05422000 |
890 cfs | 6.10 ft | · | 50°F | 646 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
Maquoketa River Near Maquoketa, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05418500 |
878 cfs | 10.99 ft | · | 49°F | 646 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Iowa River At Marengo, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05453100 |
806 cfs | 6.95 ft | · | 54°F | 729 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Cedar River At Janesville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05458500 |
719 cfs | 1.57 ft | · | 51°F | 859 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Middle River Near Indianola, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05486490 |
675 cfs | 9.57 ft | · | 58°F | 794 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Shell Rock River At Shell Rock, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05462000 |
658 cfs | 8.06 ft | · | 51°F | 882 ft | Shell Rock |
|
Little Sioux River Near Turin, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06607500 |
638 cfs | 7.35 ft | · | 58°F | 1,029 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Big Sioux River At Akron, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06485500 |
610 cfs | 5.45 ft | · | 56°F | 1,151 ft | Lower Big Sioux |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Anamosa, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05421740 |
607 cfs | 5.18 ft | · | 50°F | 779 ft | Lower Wapsipinicon |
|
East Nishnabotna River At Red Oak, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06809500 |
598 cfs | 7.22 ft | · | 58°F | 1,013 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Iowa River Near Belle Plaine, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05452500 |
587 cfs | 6.41 ft | · | 55°F | 748 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
North River Near Norwalk, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05486000 |
570 cfs | 10.15 ft | · | 58°F | 811 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Cedar River At Waverly, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05458300 |
570 cfs | 4.01 ft | 66°F | 51°F | 895 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Des Moines River Near Stratford, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05481300 |
553 cfs | 5.28 ft | · | 58°F | 902 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
South Raccoon River At Redfield, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05484000 |
451 cfs | 3.15 ft | 32°F | 60°F | 917 ft | South Raccoon |
|
East Nishnabotna River Near Atlantic, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06809210 |
442 cfs | 3.83 ft | · | 58°F | 1,109 ft | East Nishnabotna |
|
Turkey River At Garber, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05412500 |
423 cfs | 6.41 ft | 64°F | 50°F | 646 ft | Turkey |
|
Des Moines River At Fort Dodge, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05480500 |
392 cfs | 3.87 ft | · | 57°F | 974 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
Nodaway River At Clarinda, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06817000 |
389 cfs | 11.04 ft | · | 58°F | 966 ft | West Nodaway |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Randolph, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06808500 |
381 cfs | 8.23 ft | 65°F | 58°F | 956 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
Turkey River Above French Hollow Cr At Elkader, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05412020 |
373 cfs | 5.44 ft | · | 49°F | 726 ft | Turkey |
|
Cedar River At Charles City, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05457700 |
371 cfs | 2.46 ft | · | 50°F | 977 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
North Raccoon River Near Jefferson, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05482500 |
371 cfs | 5.42 ft | 37°F | 59°F | 978 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05388250 |
332 cfs | 7.00 ft | · | 44°F | 668 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Little Sioux River At Correctionville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06606600 |
327 cfs | 4.92 ft | · | 56°F | 1,106 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Rock River Near Rock Valley, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06483500 |
313 cfs | 5.21 ft | · | 55°F | 1,238 ft | Rock |
|
Beaver Creek Near Grimes, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05481950 |
304 cfs | 4.51 ft | · | 57°F | 829 ft | Middle Des Moines |
|
North Fork Maquoketa River Near Fulton, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05418400 |
300 cfs | 3.01 ft | 39°F | 49°F | 689 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Wapsipinicon River At Independence, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05421000 |
245 cfs | 4.92 ft | · | 51°F | 889 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
South Skunk River At Colfax, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05471050 |
245 cfs | 8.16 ft | · | 57°F | 793 ft | South Skunk |
|
Des Moines River At Humboldt, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05476750 |
232 cfs | 3.33 ft | · | 57°F | 1,066 ft | Upper Des Moines |
|
Boyer River At Logan, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06609500 |
232 cfs | 3.91 ft | · | 56°F | 1,014 ft | Boyer |
|
Iowa River At Marshalltown, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05451500 |
229 cfs | 9.73 ft | · | 53°F | 853 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Turkey River Near Eldorado, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05411850 |
217 cfs | 5.33 ft | · | 48°F | 897 ft | Turkey |
|
Walnut Creek At Des Moines, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05484800 |
217 cfs | 4.44 ft | · | 57°F | 808 ft | North Raccoon |
|
West Nishnabotna River At Hancock, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06807410 |
198 cfs | 2.41 ft | · | 57°F | 1,089 ft | West Nishnabotna |
|
Thompson River At Davis City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06898000 |
192 cfs | 1.50 ft | · | 59°F | 910 ft | Thompson |
|
West Fork Cedar River At Finchford, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05458900 |
189 cfs | 6.47 ft | · | 52°F | 859 ft | West Fork Cedar |
|
Floyd River At James, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06600500 |
182 cfs | 8.40 ft | · | 57°F | 1,117 ft | Floyd |
|
North Skunk River Near Sigourney, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05472500 |
179 cfs | 4.46 ft | · | 57°F | 664 ft | North Skunk |
|
South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05471000 |
161 cfs | 10.54 ft | · | 58°F | 872 ft | South Skunk |
|
Upper Iowa River At Bluffton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05387440 |
154 cfs | 3.23 ft | · | 48°F | 970 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Upper Iowa River At Decorah, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05387500 |
147 cfs | 1.71 ft | · | 48°F | 854 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Maquoketa River At Manchester, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05416900 |
144 cfs | 4.09 ft | · | 50°F | 920 ft | Maquoketa |
|
Maple River At Mapleton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06607200 |
144 cfs | 4.58 ft | · | 57°F | 1,114 ft | Maple |
|
Little Sioux River At Linn Grove, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06605850 |
136 cfs | 4.98 ft | · | 53°F | 1,249 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Volga River At Littleport, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05412400 |
129 cfs | 4.58 ft | · | 50°F | 694 ft | Turkey |
|
Squaw Creek At Ames, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05470500 |
120 cfs | 1.77 ft | · | 58°F | 907 ft | South Skunk |
|
Fourmile Creek At Des Moines, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05485640 |
111 cfs | 4.15 ft | · | 57°F | 813 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
English River At Kalona, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05455500 |
110 cfs | 4.13 ft | · | 55°F | 655 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
East Fork Des Moines River At Dakota City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05479000 |
93 cfs | 7.70 ft | · | 57°F | 1,043 ft | East Fork Des Moines |
|
South River Near Ackworth, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05487470 |
93 cfs | 5.45 ft | · | 60°F | 805 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
South Skunk River Near Ames, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05470000 |
92 cfs | 3.08 ft | · | 58°F | 928 ft | South Skunk |
|
Winnebago River At Mason City, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05459500 |
91 cfs | 4.68 ft | · | 48°F | 1,101 ft | Winnebago |
|
Yellow River At Ion, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05389000 |
91 cfs | 5.56 ft | · | 49°F | 681 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
Black Hawk Creek At Hudson, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05463500 |
85 cfs | 5.48 ft | · | 53°F | 897 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Soldier River At Pisgah, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06608500 |
83 cfs | 2.71 ft | · | 57°F | 1,047 ft | Blackbird-Soldier |
|
Middle Raccoon River At Panora, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05483600 |
83 cfs | 4.29 ft | 35°F | 59°F | 997 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Wolf Creek Near Dysart, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05464220 |
81 cfs | 2.63 ft | · | 52°F | 835 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Beaver Creek At New Hartford, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05463000 |
79 cfs | 1.74 ft | · | 52°F | 890 ft | Middle Cedar |
|
Salt Creek Near Elberon, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05452000 |
78 cfs | 5.98 ft | · | 55°F | 802 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Middle Raccoon River Near Bayard, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05483450 |
75 cfs | 9.28 ft | · | 56°F | 1,054 ft | South Raccoon |
|
Monona-Harrison Ditch Near Turin, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06602400 |
73 cfs | 4.63 ft | · | 58°F | 1,021 ft | Monona-Harrison Ditch |
|
Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05485605 |
71 cfs | 2.41 ft | · | 57°F | 911 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Floyd River At Alton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06600100 |
70 cfs | 5.69 ft | · | 55°F | 1,289 ft | Floyd |
|
North Raccoon River Near Sac City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05482300 |
68 cfs | 6.97 ft | 75°F | 58°F | 1,179 ft | North Raccoon |
|
Indian Creek Near Mingo, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05471200 |
65 cfs | 3.32 ft | · | 56°F | 827 ft | South Skunk |
|
Little Cedar River Near Ionia, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05458000 |
64 cfs | 3.30 ft | · | 50°F | 1,000 ft | Upper Cedar |
|
Wapsipinicon River Near Tripoli, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05420680 |
62 cfs | 7.07 ft | · | 48°F | 1,019 ft | Upper Wapsipinicon |
|
Cedar Creek Near Oakland Mills, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05473400 |
57 cfs | 3.35 ft | · | 55°F | 590 ft | Skunk |
|
Boone River Near Webster City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05481000 |
55 cfs | 1.84 ft | 35°F | 57°F | 1,028 ft | Boone |
|
Old Mans Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05455100 |
47 cfs | 1.89 ft | 46°F | 54°F | 654 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
South Fork Iowa River Ne Of New Providence, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05451210 |
42 cfs | 2.24 ft | · | 52°F | 963 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
Big Bear Creek At Ladora, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05453000 |
40 cfs | 10.72 ft | · | 55°F | 771 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Ocheyedan River Near Spencer, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06605000 |
38 cfs | 1.90 ft | · | 52°F | 1,317 ft | Little Sioux |
|
Turkey River At Spillville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05411600 |
37 cfs | 2.02 ft | · | 49°F | 1,067 ft | Turkey |
|
Cedar Creek Near Bussey, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05489000 |
36 cfs | 4.68 ft | · | 57°F | 696 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Iowa River Near Rowan, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05449500 |
35 cfs | 3.49 ft | · | 54°F | 1,187 ft | Upper Iowa |
|
White Breast Creek Near Dallas, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05487980 |
34 cfs | 6.27 ft | · | 57°F | 773 ft | Lake Red Rock |
|
Chariton River Near Moulton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06904010 |
32 cfs | 18.38 ft | · | 56°F | 847 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 06483290 |
32 cfs | 6.74 ft | · | 53°F | 1,316 ft | Rock |
|
Clear Creek Near Coralville, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05454300 |
27 cfs | 1.03 ft | · | 54°F | 660 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
Clear Creek Near Oxford, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05454220 |
24 cfs | 1.87 ft | · | 54°F | 722 ft | Lower Iowa |
|
English Creek Near Knoxville, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05488200 |
22 cfs | 8.63 ft | · | 57°F | 749 ft | Lower Des Moines |
|
Timber Creek Near Marshalltown, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05451700 |
20 cfs | 2.03 ft | · | 53°F | 862 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Chariton River Near Rathbun, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06903900 |
15 cfs | 2.26 ft | · | 56°F | 855 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Bloody Run Creek Near Marquette, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05389400 |
13 cfs | 4.06 ft | · | 46°F | 634 ft | Coon-Yellow |
|
South Fork Chariton River Near Promise City, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06903700 |
11 cfs | 3.12 ft | · | 56°F | 922 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
East Fork 102 River At Bedford, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06819185 |
8 cfs | 10.89 ft | · | 59°F | 1,084 ft | One Hundred And Two |
|
Big Creek Near Mt. Pleasant, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05473450 |
7 cfs | 3.30 ft | · | 54°F | 672 ft | Skunk |
|
Walnut Creek Near Hartwick, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05452200 |
7 cfs | · | · | 55°F | 806 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Richland Creek Near Haven, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 05451900 |
5 cfs | 10.19 ft | · | 55°F | 817 ft | Middle Iowa |
|
Chariton River Near Chariton, Ia
6 hours ago · USGS 06903400 |
3 cfs | 4.10 ft | · | 58°F | 968 ft | Upper Chariton |
|
Rapid Creek Near Iowa City, Ia
7 hours ago · USGS 05454000 |
3 cfs | 3.72 ft | · | 53°F | 688 ft | Lower Iowa |
See every Iowa gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 117 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
About Iowa streamflow
What are river levels like in Iowa right now?
As of September 14, 2026, Iowa rivers are running at 169% of normal across 117 USGS streamgauges, and the Mississippi River At Clinton is reporting the highest discharge at 32,000 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which Iowa river is running highest right now?
As of September 14, 2026, the highest discharge in Iowa is 32,000 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.
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